Thingyan festival (Source: wikimedia)

Festivals are one of the awaited moments of the year for many people around the world. Myanmar is full of colorful and interesting festivals. Among them, Thingyan (Water festival) is the biggest & most popular festival in Myanmar and this is very attractive to tourists. It is not only known as Thingyan festival but also Myanmar Traditional New Year Festival which usually occurs in the middle of April and usually celebrates over a period of four to five days.

“Tagu Month” is the very first month of the traditional Myanmar lunar calendar and was changed from the word of “Thar Kuu”, meaning of changing year. During this month, the passage of the sun changes from the sign of Pisces into the sign of Aries in the zodiac sign. It takes 4 days in normal year and 5 days in the leap year. First day of Thingyan days is called “A Kyo”, the day that starts the various kinds of religious activities and which follows by the second day “A Kya”, third day “A Kyat” and the final day as “A Tat”. In the leap year, there is one extra day of “A Kyat” so there will be two “A Kyat” days. After these four or five days, the Myanmar lunar calendar changes to very first day of New Year. Thingyan holidays are the most important public holidays and the school year ends for all students & the summer holidays begin.

Thingyan is similar to other festivals such as Songkran in Thailand & Laos and Choul Chnam Thmey in Cambodia. Myanmar people believe that during thingyan days, Thagyamin (the King of Nats/Spirits), visits the human world for his annual record of the good and bad things that humans performed. That’s why people usually do decent things during this period. In Myanmar history, “Narathihapate King” who is the final king of Bagan Empire tried to tease one of his queens, “Saw Lon” by pouring the water in front of everyone. She was all wet from head to toe and she feels ashamed of this action. So she tried to kill the King by poisoning the King’s food but mission was not completed. She was arrested for her action and being executed. By seeing this history, it can be say like Thingyan was started since Bagan Dynasty.

In ancient time, Burmese King had a hair washing ceremony with clear water from Gaungsay Kyun (Shampoo Island), small rocky outcrop of an island near Mawlamyine. They believe that splashing water to wash away the impurities and bad deeds of the old year so any negativity will not carry forward into the New Year and improve their honor & dignity.

Ancient Bagan Thingyan painting (Source: wikipedia)

Different way of Thingyan by each local cities

Thingyan cultures are different according to the cities and divisions of Myanmar. Normally the festival lasts for four to five days but it lasts ten days to a month in some cities or towns. In Mandalay, we can see plenty of Thingyan floats that are decorated beautifully in many themes with their own names and performing an orchestra with the traditional dances. You can see the Myanmar traditional dancer women who wear Thanakhar and Padauk (signature flower of Thingyan) on the floats. Floats stop at every Mandat (Stage) by exchanging songs specially written for the festival including Thingyan classic songs and performing “Than Chat” that is similar with rapping but lyrics is making fun and pointing the wrong things and case in the country such as fashion, crime , drugs, politicians, etc. At Rakhine Thingyan, the water is filled in the Laung Hle (long boat). The girls sit around that Laung Hle and the boys come to some distance to ask permission to throw water on girls. The boys have a chance to meet the girls in these days but girls are always under the watchful eyes of their parents or relatives from the near distance.

Mandalay legendary Thingyan float (Source: Wikimedia)

Ancient Float (Source: Wikipedia)

Rakhine Thingyan (Source: Wikimedia)

Myanmar traditional dancer group (Source: wikimedia)

Recent Thingyan

Nowadays, people are throwing water to each other with any shape of container, water gun & pistols, spray gun, garden hose or fire hydrants to wash away the old year and welcome the new is the symbol of water festival. People believes that throwing water at water festival can washed away sins & bad luck and welcome the new year with the best things. You can see the yellow signature flower of Thingyan, Padauk (Pterocarpus macrocarpus) on their head. Padauk only blooms due to the first rain shower during Thingyan period which is not only popularly known as “Thingyan flower” but also national flower. People are enjoying the Thingyan festival in many ways like go to the monasteries to make a donation or do a meditation at the meditation centers or go around the Mandats (Stages) in the city with friends in open-top cars and bikes or throwing water from Mandats or enjoying the walking Thingyan. There are many different themes of Mandats such as EDM Mandat, Rock Mandat, etc. and you can buy a ticket depend upon your preference and enjoys the famous singers performing a live show. Some people are also enjoying by walking around the Mandats area. That’s why the road is full of people & cars, and all the people are throwing water to each other. The people can have fun according to their budget since there are many choices during Thingyan.

Padauk

Thingyan Mandats (Source: Wikimedia)

In modern Thingyan festival, the Mandats (Stages) are beautifully decorated with large signboards and which needs the prior permission from the government and can only build at the designated area. The main Mandats areas are near the Yangon City Hall area, on the Pyay Road near Inya Lake and Kabaaye Pagoda Road in Yangon. Most of the Mandats have bars, water spraying stations, dancing floors, music live show programs, famous Electronic Dance Music with DJ players, Myanmar traditional dance performances, Modern dancer groups performance and famous singers entertainment programs. Most of the organizers of the Mandats are from rich and powerful background. Some big companies build Mandats to make advertisement to their products in the major cities such as Yangon, Mandalay. Nowadays, Modern Mandats are in the form of business.

Foreigner enjoying Thingyan (Source: Wikimedia)

Free food-donations, “Satuditha”

All these whole festival days, people go round the Mandats with their bicycles, motorbikes or open-top cars. Everyone are throwing water at each other except the monks, nuns, elderly or sick people and pregnant women to show them some respect. Most of the shops and restaurants are closed during these days but there are many places throughout the whole country which offering the free food-donations which is called “Satuditha” and anyone can go and join. The traditional Thingyan snack is “Mont-Lone Yay-Paw”, a sweet rice ball, which means the round snack floats in the water. Mont-Lone Yay-Paw is usually stuffed with palm sugar and served with grated coconut. In the spirit of teasing some of your friends, the rice balls are stuffed with hot chilies instead of palm sugar.

Mote-Lone Yay-Paw (Source: Internet)

Making Mote-Lone Yay-Paw (Source: Internet)

Myanmar New Year

After enjoying Thingyan days, people welcome the Myanmar New Year which usually on the 17th of April by doing a cleaning at the pagodas, temples and monasteries. Young people also do good deeds such as bathing the elderly people, washing their hair and cutting their nails as a traditional culture. Some people offer free foods and drinks to everyone who comes to the pagoda. There is also a ritual in Myanmar to buy caged animals such as birds, fishes & cows and set them free to the rivers, lakes and forests. People pray like “I release you once so you release me ten times” when they release the animals because most of Myanmar believes killing any living organisms is a sinful act so the people trying to avoid at least on the New Year day.

Nail-clipping to elderly people (Source: Internet)

If you are planning a trip to Golden land of Myanmar, this is one of the festivals that you shouldn’t miss. That’s why come and enjoy the experiences the Myanmar culture and wash away your sins & bad deeds of the old year and welcome the Myanmar New Year with fresh and brand new start together with Myanmar people. I can assure you will have a memorable moment that you will never forget.