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January (Nadaw/Pyartho)
 It
is the 10th Myanmar month in the middle of the cool season
(December-January).In ancient times it was the month for the
equestrian festival held for virtually the whole month, as
it involved competitions in horsemanship, bowmanship,
lancing and sword fighting, shooting and martial arts.It was
in effect an occasion to select heroes.It was found to have
begun in 674 ME under the reign of Pinya Thihathu but
researchers in Bodaw Paya's reign held that it began in the
reign of King Nyaungyan in Inn-wa Period.
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Regional
Festival of the Month
» Kachin Manaw Festival (Kachin)
» Ananda Pagoda Festival (Bagan)
» Naga New Year (Sagaing)
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February (Pyartho/Dabodwei)
 Tabodwe is the 11th Myanmar month, very cool, in January and February.
It is the time for seasonal
festival of making Htamanei, a food preparation of glutinous rice, oil
fried coconut flakes and other condiments. It is prepared in huge pans
by young stalwarts in the community under the guidance of master chefs
in communal activity. It was found to have started in the latter part of Nyaung-Yan (second Inn-wa Period). It is still in vogue at this time of
the year today. Often there are competitions in making Htamanei within
communities. Another less known festival in Tabodwe is called Mee-pone-pwe to mark the offering of fire for warmth in the extreme
cold. It was known to have started in Bagan Period. It is on the wane
now, except in some rural areas.
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Regional
Festival of the Month
» Full Moon Day of Dabodwei (Countrywide)
» Htamane Festival (Countrywide)
» Mahamuni Pagoda Festival (Mandalay)
» Salone Festival (Tanintharyi Division) |
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March (Dabodwei/Tabaung)
 It is the 12th Myanmar month, falling in February March. In
ancient
days it was a time for what was known as festivals of sand pagodas, in
which people built sand pagodas on the sandbanks and hold festivities on
the occasion. Now the practice is on the wane, except in some cities
and towns in upper part of the country, but the time is still held
sacred for holding of Buddha Pujayanti ceremonies, that is, occasions
for rededi-cation of the pagodas.
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Regional
Festival of the Month
» Shwe Dagon Pagoda (Yangon)
» Kakku Pagoda Festival (Inle)
» Full Moon Day of Tabaung (Countrywide)
»
Shwe Umin Pagoda Festival (Shan State)
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April (Tabaung/Tagu)
 Tagu is the first month of the Myanmar calendar. It falls in March and
April on the Gregorian calendar.
Myanmar new year festival is Thingyan Festival. It is held in the month
of Tagu every year. That has been the tradition since Tagaung Period and
it became prominent in Bagan Period.Water is a symbol of coolness,
clearness and cleansing of dirt and grime. The festival of Thingyan that
is made most merry and enjoyable with pouring or throwing water on one
another is taken as one that cleanses one and all of all dirt and grime
of the old year and cools and clears the minds of the people for the new
year.Merry-making at Thingyan festival is intermingled with noble and
pure activities of doing meritorious religious deeds in accord with the
teachings of Buddha Dhamma.
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Regional Festival of the Month
» Mann Shwesettaw Festival
» Thingyan Water Festival (Countrywide)
» Thanakha Grinding Festival (Rakhine)
» Full Moon Day of Tagu (Countrywide)
» Shwe Maw Daw Pagoda Festival (Bago)
» Myanmar New Year Festival (Countrywide) |
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May(Tagu/Kason)
 Kason is the second Myanmar month and comes in April-May. It is a sacred
month for Myanmar Buddhists.The full-moon day of Kason was the day
hermit Sumeda heard from Dipankara Buddha that he would one day be a
Lord Buddha, the day embryo-Gautama Buddha was born, the day
he saw Four Noble Truths; the day Maha Bodhi Tree grew for him and the
day of his Pari-Nibbana.So this day is commemorated by Myanmar Buddhists
as Buddha Day. The main activity on this festival day is pouring water
at the 'bo' (Bodhi Nyaung) tree.From days of yore to this day, bo tree
watering ceremonies are held at numerous pagodas in the country on this
day.It is one of the traditional cultural festivals of Myanmar people.
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Regional
Festival of the Month
» Full Moon Day of Kason (or) Bo Tree Watering
Festival (Countrywide)
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June (Kason/Nayon)
 Nayon is the third month on Myanmar calendar, in the hot season, and
falls in May-June.In the second Innwa Period, under the reign of King
Thalun, in the year 1000 began the practice of
holding examinations in religious scriptures in Nayon with aims at
propagation of Pariyatti Sasana.It was followed by the holding of
novitiation and ordination ceremonies in the next month of
Waso.Nowadays, Pahtamabyan examinations, Dhammacariya Examinations,
Tipitaka Dhara Selection Examinations, Abhidhamma and Vissudhi Magga
Examinations were held every year with presentation of prizes and
certificates, for the flourishing of the Sasana.Moreover, in this month
of Nayon, what is called Maha Samaya Day was observed in commemoration
of Lord Buddha's preaching of Maha Samaya Sutta to celestial beings from
ten thousand solar systems.
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Regional
Festival of the Month
» Pariyatti Sasana Examination
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July (Nayon/Waso)
 Waso is the fourth Myanmar month. It is part summer and part
monsoon. It falls in June and July.The full-moon day of Waso is
significant as the day the embryo-Buddha was conceived, the day He
preached the first sermon of Dhamma Cakka, the day He performed the
miracles. The day also marks the beginning of the Buddhist Lent of three
months when members of the Sangha go into the rains retreat.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.
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Regional
Festival of the Month
» Full Moon Day of Waso
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August (Waso/
Wakhaung)
 It is the fifth Myanmar month. It is in July-August, the
rainy season, when rivers are in spate.
In the time of Buddha, when the Lord was staying at Weiuwun Monastery in
Yazagyo, some disciples supplicated to him the
matter of individual disciples having some difficulty to donate meals
and alms for all the Sangha at the monastery at the same time, whereupon
Buddha laid down a way of disciples drawing lots to determine which monk
to offer meals and alms. Thus began the practice at this time of the
year to hold lot-drawing offerings of meals and alms to the Sangha,
although the exact time for such offerings is not definitely
prescribed.In ancient times, this month was also time for the festival
of propitiation to the two nats of Taungbyone. This nat festival has
been in vogue since Bagan times to the present day.This is also the time
for holding of boat races in olden days.
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Regional
Festival of the Month
» Taungpyone Festival |
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September (Wakhaung/Tawthalin)
 Tawthalin is the sixth month on Myanmar calendar. (August-September). It
is a hot month, hot enough
to kill small prawns.The surfaces of water are like mats, free of waves.
So it has been a tradition to hold regatta festivals since the times of
ancient Myanmar kings.It was graced by the king himself aboard golden
Pyigyimon Barge, adorned by figures of fifty kings on each side, as a
symbol of a hundred kings owing allegiance to the monarch.It was not
just pageantry but an occasion for demonstrating the naval prowess of
the Tatmadaw of ancient Myanmar kings.The tradition was nearly dying out
until the government revived it with traditional regatta festivals held
on Kandawgyi Lake.
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Regional
Festival of the Month
» Phaungdawoo Pagoda Festival |
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October (Tawthalin/Tadingyut)
 Thadingyut is the seventh Myanmar month (in September-October) towards
the end of the rainy season.Lord Gautama Buddha preached The Abhidhamma
to Maidawmi Nat (reincarnate of
His Mother) in Tavatimsa Abode of celestial beings for three Lenten
months and returned to the abode of men on the full-moon day of
Thadingyut. The King of Celestials cerated gold, silver, ruby stairways
for him. Buddha took the middle ruby one radiating six hues of aura. The
nats came along by the right gold stairways and the brahmas by the left
silver stairways.On account of that, Myanmar Buddhists celebrate the
full-moon day with multi-coloured illuminations. It is also called
Tavatimsa Festival after the Tavatimsa Abode of the nats and the Myinmo
Lights Festival after the Mount Myinmo there.For the Sangha it is the
time for what is known as Pawayana, which means inviting, entreating,
urging. In practice since the times of Buddha, it is to beg on another
for forgiveness of any action that might have displeased any other among
Sangha. There is also the practice among laity of paying obeisance to
parents and elders.
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Regional
Festival of the Month
» Full Moon Day of Thadingyut
»
Dancing Elephant Festival (Kyaukse)
» Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda Festival (Mon State) |
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November (Tadingyut/Tazaunmone)
 It is the eighth Myanmar month
(in October-November) time for Kathina, Matho Thingan offering,
Pantthagu offering, lotus robe offering, lighting and Shin Malai
festivals.Kathina monk's robes are offered at this particular time of
the year. It is held mostly communally.
Matho thingan meaning non-stale monk's's robes are ones made overnight
and offered before dawn. Pantthagu offering means leaving offertories
at any public place for anyone's taking. Lotus robes mean those with
golden lotus designs offered to Buddha or at pagodas. Tazaungmon is for
another lighting festival, taken to be astrologically most opportune.
Shin Malai festival originated in Shin Malai's preaching of Wesandara
Jataka on the full-moon day. It is marked by making floats in the shape
of barges, putting on it a thousand fruits, a thousand flowers, a
thousand lumps of rice and a thousand lights to go round before offering
at pagodas. It is also called the barge festival or thousand-ful
festival. It has been on the wane. There is also a practice of eating
salads of mezali leaves with belief that it is medicinal particularly at
this time of the year.
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Regional
Festival of the Month
» Matho Thingan (Yangon)
» Hot-air balloon Festival (Shan State)
» Full Moon Day of Tazaungmone |
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December (Tazaunmone/Nadaw)
 It is the ninth Myanmar month at the onset of the cool season, with
misty mornings in November-
December.In ancient days the seasonal festival was for propitiation to
nats, till it waned.The 1300s saw the coming into vogue of a celebration
in honour of the literati (Sarsodaw) at this time of the years.It might
perhaps have some connection with the day dedicated to writer, poet and
playwright U Ponnya after Konbaung Period.The first reconded celebration
dedicated to the literati was found in 1944.In the present day, it is
time for presentation of National Literary Awards by the State.
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