Special Events of Festivities

 

August (Waso/Wagaung) Taungbyone Nat (Spirit) Festival: (Aug 3~8 2006) A popular festival among Myanmar nat-gadaw (spirit medium) held in Taungbyone, approx. 20km north of Mandalay is simply to keep the two Taungbyone Nat brothers happy. This seven day noisy and boisterous festival attracts thousands of country’s spirit worshippers.

August~September (Waso/Wagaung) Yadanagu Nat (Spirit) Festival: (Aug 8~22 2006) Another nat festival mainly to appease Popa Medaw (mother of the two Taungbyone nat brothers) who made her short stop here when she returned from Taungbyone to her abode at Mt Popa. Another crowded Nat festival takes place in Amarapura, 11km south of Mandalay.

October (Tawthalin/Thadingyut) Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival: (Sept 22~Oct 9 2006) This Pagoda festival is held on a grand scale for 18-day around the Lake Inle. Four Buddha statues are ceremoniously toured from village to village on the huge royal barge tugged by leg-rowing boats. Perhaps the most interesting event is their unique boat races participated by local leg-rowers.

Thadingyut Lights Festival: (Oct 4~6 2006) This festival marks the end of the Buddhist Lent. Throughout Myanmar streets, houses and public buildings are brilliantly illuminated and festooned with colored electric bulbs to celebrate Buddha’s return from Tavatimsa (a celestial realm) after preaching sermons there for three months of Lenten period. Pagodas are also crowded with people doing meritorious deeds. It is not only a time of festivals and rejoicings – particularly after the solemnity of the previous three months - but also of paying homage as a gesture of gratitude to teachers, parents and elders.

Dummy Elephant Dance Festival: (Oct 5~6 2006) On Yangon - Mandalay motor road, there lies a thriving town called 'Kynuk-se’ situated some 48km to the south of Mandalay. This town is noted particularly for the dummy elephant dance which is annually performed in the month of Thadingyut. The main feature of this festival is the elephant dance to the accompaniment of music - on life-size white paper elephant decked with regal trappings carries on its back a replica of the sacred Tooth of Buddha or some relies of an Arahat while a black paper elephant follows as the finale of the procession. Each of these paper elephants is borne and animated by two men inside. The black paper elephant dance merrily to the procession music and thus it is the centre of attraction during the carnival.

November (Thadingyut/ Tazaungmon) Shwezigon Pagoda Festival (Oct 28~Nov 19 2006) This festival takes place in Shwezigon Pagoda in Nyaung U (Bagan). The main feature of this pagoda festival is that numerous candle lights and fireworks are carried in procession before offering to the pagoda. In fact, Pagodas festivals could be viewed as the Myanmar equivalent of western fun fairs. One can find food stalls, toy shops, shops selling sundry consumer goods, magic shows, puppet shows and dramas. People young and old alike simply love to have a stroll around the place where there is a pagoda festival.

Balloon Flying Festival: (Oct 30~Nov 4 2006) This festival is annually held in Taunggyi, a capital of southern Shan State lasting for 6-day. This is originally belonged to Pa-O people, one of the ethnic groups in the region. Hot-air balloons are released day and night, competing over their beauty and the altitude they gain. Daytime flying is meant for competition of either Pagoda or animal figures and night time is for beautifully decorated fireworks.

Tazaungdaing Lights Festival: (Nov 3~4 2006) The month of Tazaungmon is an occasion of another lights festival. But this time is a folk festival, probably pre-Buddhist rather than Buddhist origins. Houses and public buildings are colorfully illuminated again. The month is the special time for offering robes to the monks who can now travel to see and pay respects to their parents and teachers after long months of seclusion in the monasteries. However the significance in offering robes and other requisites in this season is meant only to the needy monks. So the offering should dedicate not to individual monk but to the Holy Order as a whole. This is knows as offering of Kahtein (Kathina in Pali) robe.

Festival of Robe-weaving Contest: (Nov 3 2006) The weaving and offering of Mathothingan (non-stale robe) is held on the eve of full moon day of Tazaungmon on the platforms of the prominent Pagodas. This kind of robes are called non-stale robes because they are to be woven and finished within the limited space of the night – between dusk and dawn, and then offered to the Buddha Images. Teams of women show their prowess at weaving and compete with one another to complete robes overnight. The largest weaving competition takes place on the platform of Shwedagon Pagoda.

Kakku Pagoda Festival (Nov 3~5 2006 and Mar 11~13 2007) Kakku stupas (religious monument) complex, recently discovered site in Pa-O territory, lies some 30km east of Taunggyi. Unique and magnificent collection of more than 2000 stupas are said to be the merit of King Asoka of India. These centuries old ancient stupas are unheard of by many historians and unlisted in tourist guide books.

December (Tazaungmon/Nadaw) Mt. Popa Nat (Spirit) Festival: (Dec 3~4)   Since the Bagan era, Popa is the home to Min Maha Giri (Lord of the Great Mountain). Thousands of animals were used to sacrifice during this festival before King Anawrahta ascent to the throne in 11th century. Spirit possession and overall drunken rapture are somehow part of the Nat festival. There is another festival held in Popa around August to celebrate departure and return of the Taungbyone Nat brothers from China.

January (Nadaw/ Pyatho) 2007 Manao Festival: (Jan 10 2006)   Major Manao (also spelt Manaw), held in Myitkyina on Jan 10 (Kachin State Day), draws Kachin groups from all over the state and beyond. Kachin Duwas (hereditary chieftains) organize annually Manao festival to placate or pay homage to the Kachin Nats. The celebration involves the sacrifice of cows or buffaloes and all the participants, young and old alike, dance to traditional music.

Anandar Pagoda Festival: (December 26 2006 ~Jan 2 2007) This festival takes place in Anandar Pagoda in old Bagan. Bowls of alms filled with crops are offered to Buddhist monks who all wait in a long line. Pagoda festivals in Myanmar also serve as the market venue for local festival traders who travel from festival to festival like basket weavers, textile weavers, potters, and food vendors plus music and dance. One can see pilgrimage and holiday outings on country oxcarts.

Naga New Year Festival: (Jan 13~15 2007) Naga people (once head-hunters) celebrate their biggest festival called ‘Kaing Bi’ each year in January. This is usually organized by Naga Festival Committee including location chosen and detailed preparation under the guideline of government. This year is said to be held in Lahe (Hkamti). Every Naga sub-clan from entire region participates in this occasion, and hence it is the great chance to see varieties of unique Naga people gathered at one place.

February (Pyatho/ Tabodwe) Maha Muni Pagoda Festival: (Feb 11~12 2007)   The centerpiece of the festival is the highly venerated Mahamuni Image. Thousands of people from near and far make pilgrimages to Mahamuin Pagoda and incenses are burnt in large flame in symbolic of offering heat to the great Image. The Image is thronged by many worshippers during the festival and caretakers have to installed tele monitors in four cardinal points of the complex in order for worshippers to pay their homage through tele monitors to the Image.

March (Tabodwe / Tabaung) Shwedagon Pagoda Festival: (Mar 13 2007) The last month of the Myanmar lunar calendar usually falls in March. This is a time of pagoda festival and the largest one of the country is Shwedagon Pagoda festival. At the foot hill grounds of the Pagoda are filled with rows of bamboo and thatch huts which are food stalls, toy shops, shops selling variety of products from all over the country, magic shows, musical show, puppet shows and dramas.

Pindaya Shwe U Min Pagoda Festival: (Mar 11~13 2007) In this colorful festival held in this peaceful and quiet town you can see different ethnic minorities such as Pa-O, Danu, Palaung including Myanmar-speaking Taung-yo people.

Bawgyo Pagoda Festival: (Mar 11~13 2007) This Pagoda festival is the one of the oldest and largest in northern Shan State. As the Pagoda is the most revered one in the northern Shan State, it naturally attracts thousands of pilgrimages near and far including a large numbers of traders. It lies just 8 km north-west of Thibaw which is getting popular among travelers due to its cool climate and relaxed atmosphere.

April (Tabaung/ Tagu) Water Festival: (Apr 13~16 2007) Tagu is the first month of Myanmar lunar calendar and the Myanmar New Year is ushered in by water festival. The true spirit in pouring water during water festival is to cleanse the body and mind of evils of the year that was left behind. This kind of spirit is probably faded nowadays in big cities like Yangon and Mandalay, where the revelers celebrate the festival in a most raucous manner. There are water throwing pandals erected along main thoroughfares in cities, and many youngsters also go round in cars and enjoy themselves splashing water at one another. But it is not all fun and play; even though the wild celebrations are rampant, the Pagodas and monasteries are teeming with people doing good deeds. As a whole, it is the merriest festival held at the hottest month of April for three or four days as in Thais’ Songkran.

New Year Day: (April 17 2007) Today marks the beginning of the New Year when people of all ages spend their time at the Pagodas and monasteries with the serious purpose of doing good deeds. It is time of ceremoniously washing Buddha Images, offering alms food to monks, washing the hair of elder ones, feeding and releasing animals.

May (Tagu / Kason) Pouring water on Bo (Bodhi) Tree Festival: (Full Moon Day of Kason – May 11 2007) The second month of the year once again involves in pouring water, but this time on the sacred Bo (also spelt Bodhi) tree. This festival is held on full moon day of Kason, which is the “Thrice blessed day” for Myanmar Buddhist people – the day of Buddha Birth, the day of His Enlightenment & the day of Entering Nibbana. Throughout the country, men and women of all ages go to their local Pagodas in procession to pour water on the sacred Bo tree. The largest celebration takes place on the platform of Shwedagon Pagoda.

June (Kason / Nayon) Wicker-ball Festival: (June 25~July 24 2007) The third month of the Myanmar is a month of thunder, lightning and rain since the monsoon is in full swing and makes June relatively quiet in Myanmar. Nevertheless, there are still some festivals for fun-loving people. The most interesting even is wicker-ball festival takes place at Mahamuni Pagoda in Mandalay. Traditional wicker-ball players from all over the country participate in the month long contest that tradition has going on over 70 years. This is the best event to watch Myanmar traditional chin lone <wicker-ball> playing match.

July (Nayon / Waso) Waso Full Moon Event: (Full Moon Day of Waso – July 9 2007) Full moon day of Waso in July commemorates the Buddha's first sermon. Waso, the fourth month of the Myanmar calendar, also marks the beginning of three-month-long Buddhist Lent period during which Buddhist monks are not permitted to travel but restricted to their monasteries for spiritual retreat. New robes and other temporal requirements are offered to the monks in the pomp and pageantry. Young people also go out and gather flowers of the season to offer at the pagodas.