Monthly Festivals |
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»Tagu
»Kason »Nayon
»Waso
»Wagaung
»Tawtalin
»Thatingyut
»Thazaungmon
»Nadaw
»Pyatho
»Thabodwe
»Tabaung
Tagu(April)
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.
Kason(May)
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.
Nayon(June)
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.
Waso(July)
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.
Wagaung(August)
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.
Tawthalin(September)
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.
Thadingyut(October)
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.
Tazaungmon(November)
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.
Nadaw(December)
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.
Pyatho(January)
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.
Tabodwe(February)
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.
Tabaung(March)
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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