Myanmar Water Festivals, Thingyan and other

Tagu (April) In the country the lunar calendar is used that means month are counted according to the movement of the moon which is 'La’ in the local language, the same word as for the moon. The year begins with the 29 day month named Tagu, and ends with the 30 day month called Tabaung. The festivity of Tagu is Thingyan, the water festival. There is evidence that this went on since about 500 years ago. Thingyan' means 'moving  from  one year  to another'.

Why people throw water on one another during this Thingyan Festival? Because they want to wash away the sins of the past years, but there is soooo many water, does it mean there where so many sins?, read more.

Kason (May) is the second month and it becomes real hot, it’s to be in a sauna. Lakes, ponds and reservoirs reach record low level and the earth breaks up only the big rivers such as the Irrawaddy still carry plenty of water.

Even when from time to time some rain showers splash down it’s nothing but the well know drop on a stone. This is an auspicious month for Buddhists because the full moon day is important for religious purposes. Legend tells that 4 major events in the live of Lord Buddha took place on this full moon day. There is a tradition to pour water on a bodhi tress during this month, read more.

Nayon (June) is the third month in the lunar calendar and last month of summer. The heat slowly decline and monsoon comes which greens the country again.
Farmers begin to plough their fields for wet cultivation.

In the old days a royal plough ceremony was held in the hope for a good harvest. It was on the full moon day of Nayon when Lord Buddha delivered the Maha Thamaya Sutta to the Devas and Brahmas. Food and religious items are passed to the monasteries and the learning periode for the year is ending. Festivities connected with religious examinations are held for the monks, read more.

Ordination is the festive event of Waso, first indications of a ordination festival was found in a stone inscription at Bagan from 1213, describing the ordination of a monk.

That usually takes place throughout the year but if it’s at the full moon day of Waso it is something special  because one of the close follower of Buddha became monk that day.

At Wagaung is the "casting lot festival" although a Buddhist one there is a similar with Jewish, this is in the middle of the Buddhist lent and indicates the peak of it.

People come together and a very good atmosphere is created. There is dancing, singing and lots of merry making and monks are invited to come to house and they get the best available food, read more.

Thadingyut is the festival  of light Myanmar style and reminds to when Buddha set foot on earth and a welcome ceremony was performed, that happen on the full moon day of Thadingyut and the people commemorate this important event in the life of the Buddha with many big and small celebrations. Buddhism has penetrated any aspect of life in a much deeper way as in Christianity only Muslim are even more anchored with religion and the daily life, read more.

With Tazaungmon or Tazaungdine, there is a common believe that the event is a celebration related to the constellation of planets since the people already did this in pre Buddhist times when the Nat cult was number one, now this is number two and Buddhism is top. Tazaung means illumination by an oil lamp and mon means to embellish. To commemorate this fruits, rice, lotus flowers and 1000 oil lamps are loaded into a boat and have it floated on the river, read more.

At Nadaw the festivity of Maha Peinne takes place means the image of this Nat in one of the pavilions on the Shwezigon Pagoda precinct is worshipped and a local saing (orchestra) and a dance group are making a longer performance to entertain the pilgrims and offerings are made to the Nat and parts of the former family of them. There are various temples throughout the country serving the Hindu community but at this yearly event all come together in the temple.

Others are trapping wild elephants and tame them after plus conferring titles and passing rewards, read more.

In 1993 the festivity was revived and is held from time to time similar o the regatta festival, read more.

Thabodwe is the month when the bonfire are starting to burn, by using sandal or other fragrant wood, the first is quite expensive. The wood is burned in an open container and brought to the pagoda where it is offered to a Buddha sculpture.

The offering of the fire to a statue remembers to one case when the Buddha got very cold in the Pubayon Monastery at Savatthi. In the chill of Thabodwe he kept hands and feet on the oven. To remember this instance Buddhist offer bonfires to sculptures and images.

Tabaung is the 12th month on the local calendar partly still in winter and already a bit in the summer, trees and plants start to bloom. There are two interpretaion of Tabaung, first sweet memories because it gets warm and second this is the period when palm sugar from toddy juice is made.

This has various use one of the famous is to make liquored out of it which is quite a strong stuff. and lets the personal spirits fly quickly and high. The nature colors up and everyone gets new energy, actually it's spring in the local version. In the north where the mountains reach about 6000 meters is just like in Europe.

Waterfestival - Thingyan

Since people know they have committed sins the whole year, there is a  belief that these sins could be washed away and purified both in mind and spirit by throwing one another with Thingyan Water.

Thus everyone is happy with a belief  that  they would be completely innocent after they are purified during the festival, physically and spiritually in the next year. As  a  meritorious deed during the water festival, some youngsters wash  the hair of old  people  and them too. Moreover, there's  also  a  custom to  buy  live fish  and cows  during the festival and  let  them  loose in sanctuaries of  rivers and lakes on the final day of the festival which is Ah-Tet.

Myanmar water festival or Thingyan in April at Yangon