Seasonal & Cultural Events
Myanmar is a veritable land with full of colorful festivals and
special events: mostly cultural and religious, all are always
pleasurable. Most festivals are celebrated nation-wide all over the
country. As Myanmar traditionally goes by 12 month lunar calendar,
the dates of the festivals and culture events are determined by the
lunar year. Once you come and experience our festivals, you won’t
forget that moment forever.
January
Ananda
Pagoda Festival (Bagan)
 Ananda
Temple is the masterpiece, the finest and best art in architecture,
much well preserved among all the temples in Bagan, its shape and
pattern is significantly distinct, built by king Kyansittha
(1084-1113 AD). The temple’s name means the endless wisdom of
Buddha. Annually, the festival is held in the first week of January.
Kachin
Manaw Festival (Kachin State)
 Manaw
festival is the most renowned as well as the most ancient in Kachin
State. It is also the grandest among all the festivals concerned
with tradition and culture for Kachin hill tribes, celebrated at
least 4 days up to 8 days in regard to ethnic and communal
ceremonies such as wedding, funeral, spirits (nats), and the
ceremony of tasting the very first crops; a feast with Kachin
traditional food and booze (Kaung Ye) made of rice is served to
whoever participates the festival. Both locals and foreigners dance
together much happily days and nights in wearing traditional Kachin
costumes. The festival is joined by those who live in different
villages and hill sites. It is perfect time to observe hill tribes
and its ways of life and to enjoy the confluence (Myitsone) of
Maikha and Malikha, the source of the Ayeyarwaddy River. From Kachin
State, one can expend to Putao based town surrounded by snow peaked
mountains.
Naga
Festival (Chin State)
Naga New Year festival is one of the most
breathtaking and exciting events among many festivals in Myanmar.
The Naga are one of Myanmar national races who live in Naga land,
Sagaing Division, north-west of Myanmar towards the Indian boarder.
Their annual New Year festival is celebrated in the mid of January
and participated by about 30 Naga clans. They wear different
costumes in colour and styling. Visitors can encounter the colourful
dresses, animal horns, tiger fangs, bear claws and also silver and
bronze accessories and other interesting unseen decorations that we
dress up for their performance of Naga essence of history and its
own world. Naga enjoy hunting. With the honour of their bravery,
Naga served traditional dinners of wild boar and other meat with
Naga rice wine. They pray, sing and dance for the greater good of
harvests and meals for the coming year. On New Year’s Eve, a bonfire
is set up in the middle of the occasion and the opening ceremony is
started as Naga tribes gathered and the festival pole is raised up
on the first day and they make wishes. The main aim of the festival
is to ever last friendship and amity between all Naga clans and
tribes. The annual festival is held in the mid of January. To all
visitors, Naga New Year festival in Naga land is a different world
and amazing land to be visited and observed.
February
Maha
Muni Pagoda Festival (Mandalay)
 The
pagoda festival celebrates on 14th Waxing Moon day and 15th full
Moon day of Tabodwe in Mandalay. The coldest month in Myanmar and
during the festival, devotees light bonfires and cook huge pans of
sticky rice with ginger, coconut and sesame to offer to monks at the
Maha Muni pagoda. In other parts of the country, sticky rice is
cooked as a celebration of the harvest and distributed within
communities.
Shwe
Settaw Pagoda Festival (Magwe Division)
The festival begins on 5th Waxing Moon day of
Tabodwe in Shwe Settaw, Magwe Division, in central Myanmar. During
11 days festival, there are two pagodas which enshrine footprints of
the Buddha, the site is on the banks of the Mann Creek, where bamboo
cabins are erected every year for local revelers to enjoy cool swims
during the heat of summer.
Kyaik
Khaut Pagoda Festival (Thanlyin)
This festival starts 8th Waxing Moon day of
Tabodwe in Thanlyin near Yangon. The nearest pagoda festival of this
size closest to Yangon, just 30 minutes away by car. The duration is
10 days. A free traditional puppet show is always part of the
festivities.
Rice
Cooking Festival (Nation-wide)
This festival is to celebrate the harvest,
communities and organizations cook giant pans of sticky rice with
ginger, coconut, peanuts and lots of sesame, which is wrapped in
banana leaves and given to neighbours and friends.
March
 Shwedagon
Pagoda Festival (Yangon)
It is one of the wonders of the world of to-day,
was believed to have built over 2005 years ago where the Buddha’s
relics were enshrined. The festival is usually held on the full moon
day of Tabaung which is being in March. The traditional snacks and
local products are displayed and sold in many stalls along the side
ways to Shwedagone pagoda. It is worth moment for visitors to see
how bustling Myanmar people enjoy their holiday and how they
participate in religious activities of festivals.
Maw Tin
Zun Pagoda Festival (Pathein)
In the southwest coast of Myanmar, Maw Tin Zun
pagoda festival celebrates for 10 days on 1st Waxing Moon day of
Tabaung. This is the only seaside pagoda festival of importance. It
is accessible from Yangon by a pleasant boat ride to Pathein, an
interesting delta town famous for its pretty parasols.
Ko Gyi
Kyaw Spirit Festival (Sagaing Division)
Ko Gyi Kyaw is a happy spirit who loves to drink
and gamble and see his worshippers sing, dance and be merry. He is
the patron of gamblers. This annual festival in his honour is
celebrated in his home town, Pakhan, Yayza Gyo Township on 1st
Waxing Moon day of Tabaung.
Pindaya
Shwe Oo Min Pagoda Festival (Southern Shan State)
 Well
known for its extensive limestone caves over millions of years ago.
Shwe Oo Min Cave Pagoda festival is as well celebrated on full moon
day of Tabaung, starts a week before full moon day. Thousands of
devotees from villages around the area come to pay homage to the
images of Buddha in the cave. There are some 6000 Buddha images and
interesting stalagmites.
 Kakku
Pagoda Festival (Taunggyi, Southern Shan State)
Annually, Kakku Pagoda festival is also held on
full moon day of Tabaung. The devotees come from Pa-O villages to
the pagoda for paying respect and enjoy the days under the very huge
banyan trees surrounding the pagodas. There are over 2000 ancient
pagodas in Kakku pagoda compound. The Pa O people dress up their
best costumes and getting to know each other while others come by
their bullock carts to the festival.
April
Myanmar
New Year Festival (Thingyan Water Festival nation-wide)
 Thingyan
water festival, the greatest and the merriest, celebrated all over
the country which goes together with Myanmar New Year. It features
water throwing by the way of relieving of the intense heat of the
season and washing away the sins of the passing year. Young and
not-so-young people have great fun throwing at one another, teasing,
singing, dancing and shouting during the festival. If you take part
in this festival, you’ll feel really awesome. But Thingyan is not
all for fun and play. It is also a time for performing meritorious
deeds. Some do religious deeds at monasteries. As a whole, during
Thingyan period everything becomes dear. The event is quite obvious
and the feeling can’t be described in words.
 Shwe
Maw Daw Pagoda Festival (Bago)
This festival begins the day after New Year’s Day
in go. It lasts for seven days. Classical theatre troupes perform
their best here so they will be booked by agents for the next pagoda
festival season. With the advance money they make new costumes and
settings and rehearse throughout the monsoon Buddhist Lent period.
May
Ritual
of pouring water on the Bodhi Tree (Bo tree) (Nation-wide)
All the pagodas throughout the country celebrate
on Full Moon Day of Kason for 10 days. This ritual commemorates the
date 2500 years ago when the Buddha gained enlightenment while
meditation under a Bodhi tree. Pilgrims pour water on the Bodhi
trees in pagoda compounds to keep them fresh in the summer heat of
May.
June
Pakokku
Thiho Shin Pagoda Festival (Pakokku)
Pakokku is an old traditional town on the western
bank of the Nyeyarwady River. This pagoda festival is the most
important for all towns west of the Ayeyarwady and produce from the
region
July
Waso
Festival
The Waso festival is annually held on the full
moon of Waso throughout the country. The festival commemorates the
time when the Buddha gave his first sermon, to five monks. Pilgrims
throughout the country gather wild flowers to offer at pagodas, and
offer new robes to monks. The Buddhist Lent period is from the full
moon of Waso until the full moon of Thadingyut.
August
Taungpyone Nats (Spirits Festival)
 There
are a number of annual Nat festivals celebrated throughout the
country, the Nats of the region accordingly. Tauhgpyone festival is
the most attractive and important in a village near Mandalay. Annual
festival is held in September or August according to the Myanmar
lunar calendar. The believers honour the two Taung Pyone brothers,
Min Gyi and Min Galay.
In Buddhist lore, spirits or nats exit in many forms such as
celestials or guardians of the faith, cities or villages or even for
each individual. The pantheon of 37 spirits worshipped by
semi-animists are also called Nat but of a different kind. Most of
the 37 spirits met violent deaths as humans and by strong emotions
of bitterness or anger could not pass through to their next life but
remain in limbo.
But rituals worship them in believing that they will be blessed and
they could bring more wealth and good fortune to their daily life.
Yadana
Gu Spirit Festival (Mandalay Division)
The festival is held on 10th Waning Moon day of
Wagaung in Amarapura, near Mandalay. During Five days festival, the
festival honours the mother of the two spirit Taung Pyone brothers.
She is the Goddess of Popa and her main shrine is on Popa Crest,
near Bagan. She is a powerful spirit and protector of women.
September
Phaung
Daw Oo Pagoda Festival (Inle Lake, Shan State)
 The
festival is held annually between on September and October. The
duration of the festival is at least 15 days, nation-wide celebrated
in Inle Lake, one of the most famous festivals in Myanmar.
During the festival, devotees cover the five images of Buddha
countless thousands of times with gold leafs; transforming them into
round golden spheres, curried by the mythical bird boat and touring
around from village to village on the Lake, is the most important
and joyous event in Shan State. The five day market takes place
every five days, wondering around the floating gardens, floating
islands and villages are not to be missed and provides opportunities
to see members of national races, such as Danu, Pa O and Palaung and
Inn, coming to trade silversmiths ateliers and silk or lotus weaving
cottage industries are among the most fascinating attractions in the
area. The rainbow colour fabric woven by lotus stems are not found
anywhere else on the earth. This festival is one the most
recommended by foreign visitors.
Maha
Manuha pagoda festival (Bagan)
 Maha
Manuha Pagoda festival is celebrated on one day before the full moon
day of Tawthalin and the full moon day at Myinkaba Village, Bagan.
During two days festival, pretty village girls dressed in their best
parade with trays of fruit and cakes to offer at the pagoda. During
the afternoon, young men parade larger-than-life papier mache
figures they have made of heroes, celestials and animals. At night,
they put on dances and plays. The next morning at dawn they offer
food at the shrine and also to the monks.
 Shwezigon
pagoda Festival (Bagan)
Its ceremony is on the full moon day, November 4,
there is a ritual of offering a filled alms bowl to a thousand and
more monks and novices. Lacquer ware, glazed pots and hand woven
cotton blankets are sold by villagers living in the region at this
great country fair.
October
Elephant dance festival (Kyauk Se)
The elephant dance festival is held on full moon
day of Thadingyut in Kyauk Se, a town (50 Km) away from the south of
up-country old capital of Mandalay. With chronicle, Kyauk Se remains
a conservative Myanmar town and religious traditions and cultures
are still very much a part of the daily life. The life-size of an
elephant made of bamboo frame and cloth paper and as much gilt foil
and glitter they could put into the construction. The elephant
performed by 2 men get inside of the hollow elephant and moving like
lively elephants, followed by some traditional musicians. For the
annual dance competition, the candidates compete not just for the
best performance, but for the most beautifully decorated elephant as
well.
To the annual festival, over 150000 visitors from different regions
come to participate for its performance of historical elephant
dances.
Festival of light
 The
Light festival is held one day before the full moon day of
Thandingyut, the full moon day and one day after throughout the
country. It lasts for three days. This festival commemorates the
time when the Buddha returned to earth after preaching in the abode
of celestials during the three months of Lent. He descended at night
and devotees greeted Him with lamps and lanterns. People decorate
their houses with candles and coloured lanterns to symbolize this
event. The festival of Light marks the end of Lent.
Kyaut
Taw Kyi pagoda Festival (Mandalay)
Kyauk Taw Kyi Pagoda festival begins one day
before the full moon day of Thadingyut and celebrates for 4 days in
Mandalay. An exciting festival focused on a huge Buddha image carved
from a block of marble. It coincides with an annual competition
among teams of cane-ball (Chinlon) players. This sport of keeping a
rattan ball off the ground without using the hands is not about one
side winning and the other losing and is surely the only sport in
the world with such a concept.
November
Kahtein
Ritual Offerings
This is more likely a kind of charities and
donations throughout the country. Sets of new robes and other
offerings such as slippers, umbrellas, alms bowls, food, towels,
soap and other necessities are presented to monks. Cash offerings
for monasteries are also collected and displayed on wooden frames
built in the shape of a tree. New cash notes are folded into bird
and flower shapes.
All
Night Robe Weaving Contests
The contests begin on third of November, in the
evening before the full moon day at Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon, and
other pagodas throughout the country. During the whole night, teams
of weavers compete to finish a monk’s robe, to be offered to images
at dawn the next day. It is a major event at the shwedagon Pagoda.
This ritual was once practiced both in the palace during the time of
monarchy and in villages.
Tasaungmone Hot Air Balloon Festival (Taunggyi, Shan State)
 As
usual, the festival is held on full moon day of Tasaungmone. It
takes at least for 5 days and widely famous for its hot air balloons
with fireworks and fire crackers, competing day and night during the
festival. Visitors can see competition, how beautiful and smart hot
air balloons, fireworks and fire crackers that how high they release
into the sky. You can see the decorated hot air balloons in distinct
shapes and forms of animals such as elephants, ducks, fishes, birds,
hens so also four legs animals like pigs and buffalos which are to
be hand-made of a kind of fire resistant paper for successfully long
lasting while competing. The competition is celebrated in crowed
people while others play happily traditional musical instruments and
dance around. People from all parts of the country love to come and
enjoy this festival as the festival is one of the most popular
festivals in Myanmar.
December
 Popa
Guardian Spirits Festival (Mount Popa)
This Spirits festival begins full moon day of
Nadaw. During six days festival, the two spirit figures on either
side of the Tharaba Gate at Bagan are the brother and sister spirits
lord of the Mountain and the Lady Golden Face who protect home or
country. A festival takes place at Mount Popa, near Bagan in their
honour.
Kyaik-hti-yo ‘Golden Rock’ Pagoda Festival
 Golden
Rock pagoda festival is one of the most famous festivals, and
nation-wide both for local and foreign visitors. It is held on the
evening of December 31 in Kyaik-hti-yo ‘Golden Rock’, Mon State. On
the platform of the Kyaik-hti-yo ‘Golden Rock’, pagoda devotees
light nine thousand lamps to welcome the New Year and to give thanks
to Buddha’s peaceful philosophy. The magical Golden Rock Pagoda, a
golden spire, sits on top a huge boulder covered with gold leaf and
perched on the edge of a cliff.
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