Thingyan Festival
The most famous festival in Myanmar, the Thingyan Water Festival is held in celebration of the Myanmar New Year. This festival is similar to the famous Songkran Festival in Thailand wherein people throw or splash water at one another during the four-day festival. The festival happens all across the Yangon region, but Mandalay has the bragging rights for being the most crowded city to celebrate the Myanmar New Year. Usually, the festival lasts four days but on a leap year, it lasts five days. On the Burmese New Year day, Myanmar people also do good deeds by offering meals and snacks, taking Sabbath, or cutting nails for their elders.
Thadingyut Festival
Although Thadingyut Festival is held all across Myanmar, the Kyaikhtiyo Thadingyut Festival is the most famous of all among the locals. People light candles during the festival as a way to welcome the Lord Buddha back from the heavens, where he is believed to preach to his reborn mother, before returning to earth. On the day of the full moon of Thadingyut, locals offer 9,000 candles and flowers to the pagoda. Burmese children also love this festival because it’s when elderly people give them pocket money when they visit the home of their elders to give thanks. This tradition also reflects the filial piety nature of Burmese people.
Although Thadingyut Festival is held all across Myanmar, the Kyaikhtiyo Thadingyut Festival is the most famous of all among the locals. People light candles during the festival as a way to welcome the Lord Buddha back from the heavens, where he is believed to preach to his reborn mother, before returning to earth. On the day of the full moon of Thadingyut, locals offer 9,000 candles and flowers to the pagoda. Burmese children also love this festival because it’s when elderly people give them pocket money when they visit the home of their elders to give thanks. This tradition also reflects the filial piety nature of Burmese people.
