Traditional Festivals

The Burmese maintains several traditional festivals many of which are organized by pagodas. The festivities punctuate the daily life of the Burmese throughout the country, they are even more numerous in the dry season.

Festival of Thingyan (Water Festival): From April 12-13 to April 16, the whole country celebrates the feast of water, that is to say the Buddhist New Year. People throw water on the others and place the flowers and palm leaves in front of their houses. Water is seen as an instrument of purification: it’s supposed to bring peace, prosperity and happiness for the coming year.

In addition to traditional festivals, the Burmese are very attached to two great commemorations. The day of independence Pyatha which takes place on January 4 and lasts 7 days and the celebration of the union of Myanmar, this day celebrates the federal union and Aung San, which succeeded in unifying the different ethnic groups of Burma.