Myanmar Traditional Festivals 2018 - 19

The most popular festival of Kachin ethnic of Myanmar also a new year celebration of Kachin people. Events include like dancing around traditional poles, wearing colourful traditional costumes.

The Manaw festival held in January is the largest and most important annual celebration in Kachin State when people celebrate the new year. People wear their best traditional dress at this time and dance collectively around the tall Manaw poles. The men wear woven shoulder bags and a silver sword in a sheath and women decorate their predominantly red dresses with silver all across the torso. The festival is held in Myitkyina on January.

source: Magical Myanmar

The Naga, one of the over one hundred and fifty different ethnic tribes in Myanmar, lives in the remote area of Northwest Myanmar, Naga celebrates New Year for five days, during the time, they dance, perform, beat their drums, hold the tribal customs until midnight.

Not easily accessible due to rough terrain and a lack of modern infrastructure, the tribes of the Naga national group live in the far northwest near the Indian border. Every January they celebrate their New Year at a festival that brings various Naga tribes together to feast and dance. For the comfort of outside visitors, the festival site has western toilets and electric lights, as well as catered food, which is transported to the festival site to avoid straining the local resources.

There is no stronger demonstration of the diversity of culture than when one sees how many different Naga groups with different costumes, traditions and languages come together in one place.

source: Magical Myanmar

This is the biggest and most important pagoda festival in Central and Upper Myanmar. Villagers come to the festival in their decorated bullock carts and camp on the plain for the duration of the festival. The full moon day of the Myanmar month of Pyatho, which falls on January, marks the height of the celebrations, with one thousand monks from a hundred villages in the vicinity arriving to accept offerings of filled alms bowls. With their crops having recently been harvested, farmers have the time and the money to enjoy themselves.

The festival of Mahamuni Pagoda usually last 2 days. It is held on the full moon day of Thabodwe of Burmese calendar. As Mahamuni is one of the most famous pagoda in Myanmar,thousands of Buddhists go there to pay homage.

February is the coldest month in Myanmar and at the Maha Muni Pagoda Festival, devotees light bonfires and cook huge pans of sticky rice with ginger, coconut and sesame to offer to monks. In other parts of the country, this sticky rice is cooked as a celebration of the harvest and distributed within communities. In the evening, you can observe several kinds of entertainment such as Zat, Anyeint and popular movies in the open air. In the daytime, there are many stalls selling various kinds of Myanmar snack and other Myanmar products.

Festival is celebrated at two pagodas which enshrine footprints of the Buddha. The site is on the bank of the Mann Creek, where bamboo cabins are erected every year for revellers to enjoy a cool swim during the heat of summer.

source: Magical Myanmar

It is a famous pagoda festival in Pyin Oo Lwin and several Shan and other ethnic groups from the hills come to sell their products

Pagoda festival with multitude of stalls, entertainments such as Zats, Anyeints, stage show and movies shown in the open air the whole night coming by ox-carts near villages.

Htamane Festival is a competition between teams of men for the donation of Glutinous Rice to the Lord Buddha and Buddhist monks in the early morning on Full Moon Day. During the festival, cook giant pans of glutinous rice with ginger, coconut, peanuts and lots of sesame, which wrapped in banana leaves and given to neighbours and friends.

This festival takes place in Pa Khan, Yayzagyo township, Magwe division. It is a festival for Nat worshipers who worship Ko Gyi Kyaw Nat a happy spirit who loves to drink and gamble. The attended people sing and dance happily. The event is held in his hometown, Pa Khan, Yayzagyo township.

source: Magical Myanmar

45 minutes drive form Mandalay– Pyin Oo Lwin highway, this pagoda was built bySaw Mon Hla, queen of king Anawrahta, can see Pagan period mural at side pagodas’ walls.one of the King Anawrahta’s wives. Materials made of dried toddy palm leaves and local products are the best selling village products. Young people play water for fun in the Douhtawaddy River. You can also visit the pagodas by taking a small boat.

100 miles far from Myintkyina. Yearly this festival is held for ten days. One intriguing fact is that two sandbanks are washed up by the waves before the festival and disappear into the lake shortly after the festival. People believe that one for human and the other for the gods.

Zalun Pyi Taw Pyan pagoda festival is held in a small town named Zalun near the Ayeyarwaddy river. It is a traditional Buddhist harvest festival and many religious Buddhist gather at the pagoda to pay homage and donations.

source: Magical Myanmar

Four Buddha Images brought out for display, worship and gilding with gold leaf. Especially Palaung tribes from the hill sell their products. Many kinds of gambling are allowed during the festival days only.

Many stalls selling delicious local food, Shan handicrafts, cheroots, Shan umbrella etc.., joining Shan tribes in their colourful costumes.

There are more than 2000 pagodas from several centuries ago in the complex. Pa-O, Shan and Danu national races come to celebrate this festival.

It is one of the most famous pagodas in the region, located in the centre of the Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park in Yinmarbin County, Sagaing State. The festival is held by lighting to the Pagoda in Full Moon Day of Tabaung (March). There are many people from the surrounding area attending the festival. Visitors come here not only to attend the festival, but also to admire the beautiful nature of one of the most famous eco-tourist destinations in Myanmar.

Traditional Shan festival in the northern part of Pyin Oo Lwin, about an hour drive from the downtown area.

This festival is known to be the most important gathering of witches imaginable. According to the legend, Ye Kin Kadaw, the Queen of the Witches, the favourite wife of King Taung U, had extraordinary powers. The king sent her into exile, as his other wives did not like her supernatural power. She went to Maung Dong, where she got drowned. Her oldest statue, only 30 centimetres high, can thus be found in Maung Dong. During this festival, all 37 kinds of nats will be placed in a shrine, devotees offering them bunches of bananas, green coconuts, betel leaves, colourful arrangements of flowers and ‘money bouquets’.

Classical theatre troupes perform their best here so they will be booked by agents for the next pagoda festival season.

On the Shwe Bo Road, twelve kilometres north of Monywa, the town of Ah-Lone celebrates its festival in March. The heroine of this festival is Ma Ngwe Daung (Ms Silver Wings) who was a daughter of the Ah-Lone Bodaw, a minor Indian prince who came through Tamu and Kalaymyo to Myanmar. The celebration of this festival is related to the love story of Ma Ngwe Daung. During the festival, the pilgrims appeal to Ma Ngwe Daung to give them the opportunity to have as many mistresses as hairs on their head. The festival appeals also to pilgrims wishing to control or to spirit away illness with the waters on offer there.

This festival is known to be the most important gathering of witches imaginable. According to the legend, Ye Kin Kadaw, the Queen of the Witches, the favourite wife of King Taung U, had extraordinary powers. The king sent her into exile, as his other wives did not like her supernatural power. She went to Maung Dong, where she got drowned. Her oldest statue, only 30 centimetres high, can thus be found in Maung Dong. During this festival, all 37 kinds of nats will be placed in a shrine, devotees offering them bunches of bananas, green coconuts, betel leaves, colourful arrangements of flowers and ‘money bouquets’.

On the Shwe Bo Road, twelve kilometres north of Monywa, the town of Ah-Lone celebrates its festival in March. The heroine of this festival is Ma Ngwe Daung (Ms Silver Wings) who was a daughter of the Ah-Lone Bodaw, a minor Indian prince who came through Tamu and Kalaymyo to Myanmar. The celebration of this festival is related to the love story of Ma Ngwe Daung. During the festival, the pilgrims appeal to Ma Ngwe Daung to give them the opportunity to have as many mistresses as hairs on their head. The festival appeals also to pilgrims wishing to control or to spirit away illness with the waters on offer there.

Classical theatre troupes perform their best here so they will be booked by agents for the next pagoda festival season.

Thingyan is Burmese new year festival usually falls around mid-April, the Burmese month of Tagu. The water festival is held all over the country in a belief of cleansing away the evil deeds in the past year with water.

Same as the other pagoda festival with the exciting traditional boxing show

Stupas with five segments are built with sand within 01 night. Each layer of white sand is supported by bamboo-mats and -posts

Kason (May) is the second month in Myanmar calendar and it is the hottest month of the summer, drying up water in lakes, ponds, streams, rivers. “Bodhi” is a Pali word meaning “knowing” or “perceiving”.  devotees regard such trees and forests as sacred and they respect them. Pilgrims pour water on the Bodhi trees which Buddha gained enlightenment under that kind of tree.

Chin Lone (cane ball) tournament held in Mahamuni Pagoda compound almost a month for every day and night. Cane ball players from all over the country come up to Mandalay to enjoy this festival. We can enjoy to see several ways of playing Chinlon and racing by either team or individual with local folk music. Actually it begins about a month before the ending date but the last week displays the skill of the best teams.

Waso is the fourth Myanmar month. It is part summer and part monsoon.

The full-moon day of Waso is significant as the day the embryo-Buddha was conceived, the day Buddha preached the first sermon of Dhamma Cakka, the day He performed the miracles. It is a time of ordination and novitiation into the religious order, with these events held since the days of ancient Myanmar monarchs for the flourishing of the Sasana. There is also a practice of young men and women going on outings of gathering flowers to be offered at Buddha images. A significant practice of Waso is the offering of monk’s robes to members of the Sangha for  use during the Lent and so these robes are called Waso robes. Likewise there are also big candles called Waso candles offered at this time of the year. Among lay people it is also a time to offer elders cakes,fruits and other offertories.

In some years, there are two full moons in the month of Waso. The main festivals are celebrated around the second Waso fullmoon which falls in July. This festival commemorates the time when the Buddha gave His first sermon to five monks. Pilgrims throughout the country gather wild flowers to offer at pagodas, and offer new robes to monks. The Buddhist Lend period is from the full moon  of Waso until the fullmoon of Thadingyut.

This festival is a regional Nat festival, keepers of the Ayeyarwaddy River. After harvest time, hundreds of farmers, wearing colourful dresses, arrive with their beautifully decorated bullock carts at the Myatheindan Pagoda. They build a big tent as temporary housing for the nat images. During these days the mediums perform Nat Dances in order to be granted a good harvest for the next season and to the delight of hundreds of spectators. Can observe several kinds of ceramic wares from Sagaing and Kyaukmyaung are laid out at the bank of the river for sale during the festival.

This  festival is known as a major gathering spot for spiritual mediums. Hundreds of believers and mediums (natkadaw) come once a year to Taung Byone. It is the most impressive Nat festival in Myanmar.

Taung Pyone is the site where two brother serving a king of Bagan in the 11^th century were executed. They became powerful spirits or Nat. This festival in their honor is attended by tens of thousands of mediums and worshipers. A ritual is celebrated each day. Toddy palm wine, whisky, rum, grilled rabbit and fried chicken are offered to the two spirit brothers. Orchestras come to play for the mediums who dance to make the spirits joyful.

Myanmar is a land of festivals. They reflect the cultural diversity of the country’s many ethnic groups. The Taung Pyone festival this month is a colorful event celebrating the traditions and beliefs of the Myanmar people and paying tribute to the venerated nats, or spirits. Myanmar people believe that nats can bring good omens, foresee the future and provide guidance. Taung Pyone, which dates back to the Bagan period and is one of Myanmar’s biggest festivals, draws hordes of visitors who believe nats from all over the country come to enjoy the celebrations.

The most important spirit or nat festival is the Taung Pyone Festival held in August or September each year. This ancient village near Mandalay was where the two brothers Min Gyi and Min Galay were unfairly executed so it is their main shrine. Eleven days of rituals are conducted by officials. Dressed in silks and stins, and made up as if for traditional dance performance, spirit mediums dance while being possessed, and the spirit in them ‘eats’ the food offered by smelling, although with drinks such as whisky they can drink up the whole bottle in several swallows without the medium getting drunk. A traditional orchestra of a drum circle, oboe, cymbals, brass gongs and the big drum accompanies the dances with music especially composed for the spirits. Mediums dance and sing while cash notes are pined to the medium’s jacket by the donors and more tossed to the musicians and spectors.

The Yadana Gu Nat Festival is also known as Mother of Taung Byone festival. One of the reasons why this event is enjoyable is the necessity of travelling to the festival site by boat. The festival is held each year to honour Medaw (Mother of the two Lords), Mewanna.

This event is held immediately after the Taung Byone festival, near Mandalay, wich attracts thousands of mediums and devotees who pay homage to the power of nats. Every year, the festival starts on the 10 days after full moon day of the Myanmar month of Wagaung and lasts about five days.

The Yadana Gu Pagoda festival and Yadana Gu Nat festival are held simultaneously. During the festivals, boats carrying offerings and filled with dancers and musicians perform in homage to the nats ply the Ayeyarwady  River near Mandalay and Amarapura. Most of the pilgrims are from Mandalay, Amarapura, Tada Oo, Sagaing and Monywa.

This one is known as mother of Taung Byone. Most enjoyable festival because of the rowing boat trip to the site. The festival is held annually in honor of Mt.Popa.

This festival honours the mother of the two spirit brothers reffered to above. She is the Goddess of Popa and her main shrine is on Popa Crest, near Bagan. She too is a powerful spirit and protector of women.

Pagoda festival with a multitude of stalls, entertainments such as Zats, Anyeints, stage show and movies shown in the open air the whole night coming by ox-carts near villages.

The Bo Bo Gyi nat festival is one of Myanmar’s famous annual festivals and runs for 12 days. Bo bo Gyi, also known as Myint Phyu Shin, is one of 37 spirits in the nat pantheon which predates which predates Buddhism but has long been integrated into indigenous religious belied. The ritual of offering food to the spirit is the main event of this festival.

Bo Bo Gyi is known as the Rider of the White Horse and is a poltergeist who provides protection from danger and enemies. On the eve of the ceremony, devotees throw packets of tea leaves at each other. Those who are hit must pledge to attend the following year’s festival.

The celebrations start at the entrance to the village, on the altar of Myin Hpyu Shin Bo Bo Gyi. In accordance with custom, villagers prepare five sets of trays, each with seven vegetables and seven pieces of pork.The offerings must be carefully arranged and include steamed rice, tri-coloured glutinous rice and rice formed into animal-shaped cakes.Other staples are pumpkin,coconut,banana,dried fish and fried chilies, garnished with tea leaves and betel nut. The main feature is the pork, which is served on its own or minced into porridge. Offering pork to Bo Bo Gyi is a unique feature of the event because offerings of pork are taboo at other nat festivals.

The Bo Bo festival is also unique for being alcohol-free: alcohol is regarded as an essential offering to the nats at other festivals. Devotees at the Bo Bo Gyi  festival do not sing or dance. They simply cook together, worship together and enjoy the food offerings with friends, family, relatives and pilgrims visiting from other areas. The participants believe that they will enjoy health, happiness and good luck.

The festival includes a Ma Tho Thingan (weaving competition for special yellow monks’ robes) for Maha Ant Htoo Kan Thar Pagoda, the donation of 9000 oil lamps, drone duels and flower shows, games and other entertainment.

Hot-air balloon festival is held one week before the full-moon day of Tazaungmone. This festival is very well-known as one of the most famous festival in country.During the festival, giant hot air balloons of various colors and shapes are sent up to the sky. Young people of Taunggyi of crazy about competing in the festival.

Teams from various towns and villages make balloons out of cloth and paper in the shape of birds or animals for the daytime competitions,  and those decorated with tails of small paper lanterns for night. Before setting them off, the teams carry their balloon around town to show off with dance and music. On the night of the full-moon the townsfolk parade around town carrying lanterns and offerings to be placed at the pagoda.

Also known as Tazaungdaing Fire Balloon Festival, the daytime competitions are for balloons made in animal or bird shapes and at night fire balloons are decorated with strings of lanterns or designs made of lights. The balloons have a bamboo frame over which hand-made paper is glued. The hot air is generated by burning rags under the opening. Balloons are judged for size, style, design and the time they remain aloft. On the night of the full-moon Taunggyi townsfolk hold a parade around  the town carrying colorful lanterns.

Yearly festival of shwezigon pagoda is celebrated on the fullmoon day of Tazaungmone and it is one of the most famous and liveliest pagoda festivals in Bagan. The festival has been held since the Bagan dynasty. On the full moon day, there is a ritual of offering a filled alms bowl to a thousand and more monks and novices. Lacquerware, glazed pots and hand woven cotton blankets are sold by villagers living in the region at this great country fair.

The Thanboddhay padoga in Monywa is the only pagoda with this unique shape in the whole country and one of the most intricately decorated temples in the country with an extensive use of vibrant colors housing over 500,000 different Buddha images, row upon row in ascending tiers in niches along the walls.

The pagoda was started on 20th June 1939 and completed on 2nd March 1952. During the second World War thousands of people trying to get away from the war lived on the temple grounds.

If you can go at the beginning of the Myanmar month of Tazaungmone ( usually around November) the pagoda festival is held with musical performances, dancing, lots of food and vendors selling their wares. The villagers from all around come to enjoy the music and dancing. and buy from the various stalls set up by sellers from all over the country.

Myanmar Thanaka, sandalwood and textiles such as cotton blankets and longyi are sold at the various stalls around the area.

The Thanboddhay is just a few kilometers away from the giant Buddhas of the Maha Bodhi Ta Htaung monastery.

This ceremony will be held around mid of Nov for a couple of days. There will be a market full of herbal leaves, roots, fruits, barks, thorns, tubers and stems of any herbal value from the western wildness of Chindwin River which is sold on the large scale.

In offering robes to the Monks, there is no restriction on when robes should be offered but Mathoe Robe has a special significance. Mathoe robe means the weaving of the robe must be completed and must be offered to the Buddha before dawn. It becomes an unsuccessful work if the weaving of the robes is delayed. Story is that the Buddha would soon renunciate, the Buddha’s mother, Maya, who had been reborn in the Tavatimsa heaven, spent the entire night weaving yellow monk robes for Buddha. Gotami sister of Maya (Buddha’s aunt) continued this tradition and offered new robes annually. In this way robes weaving contests are celebrating in all over Myanmar. During these competitions, contestants work nonstop from night until dawn to weave these garments.

The most significant Mathoe robes weaving contests in Myanmar is the one which celebrated on the Great Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. Around nine teams of 60 religious associations of the Shwedagon Pagoda usually join in the contests in the evening of the eve of the the full moon day of month Tazaungmone. Each contesting team has six members including the team leader. When the contests stop at 10 P.M, the team which can finish earliest and which can weave the best quality is chosen by judges as the winner and are given the prizes. This ceremony is not only portrays good deeds of Myanmar people but also encourage the act of traditional weaving.

Kaung Hmu Daw pagoda festival is one of the famous pagodas in central Myanmar. The festival where the caravan of bullock carts in the pagoda compound carrying their village products such as hand-woven cotton cloths and handmade mats.

Just like most of the pagoda in Myanmar, there are many things to see such as traditional performances, traditional food and snack stalls and magic shows.

Just like most of the pagoda in Myanmar, there are many things to see such as traditional performances, traditional food and snack stalls and magic shows.