FESTIVALS BY MONTHS

The following represents only a selection of the festivals which take place in Myanmar every year. The dates are according to the local lunar calendar so check for exact dates according to the Roman calendar.

January - February

• Ananda Temple festival, Bagan, one of the biggest festivals in the country, begins seven days previous to the Full Moon Day of Pyatho moon month.
• Naga nationalities’ New Year Festival and it requires bookings weeks ahead as it is held in very remote villages, usually a few days previous to 15th January
• Union Day, 12th February..
• Chin New Year’s Day, 20th February, celebrated in the Chin State, usually at Mindat.

February - March

• Shwesettaw Pagoda festival, on the banks of Mann Chaung, Magway Division. Season starts 5th Waxing Moon Day of Tabodwé and ends only after Myanmar New Year in April. A holiday resort for locals.
• Sticky rice cooking Festival, in many major pagodas, monasteries, neighbourhoods or villages where sticky rice is
  cooked with nuts, sesame and ginger in large woks and distributed free. Held the night before the Full Moon Day of Tabodwé.
• Kyaik Khaut Pagoda festival, Thanlyin just half an hour’s drive from Yangon, begins seven days previous to the Full Moon Day of Tabodwé.
• Kyaikasan, Kyaik Kalo and Kyaik Waing Pagodas all in suburbs of Yangon celebrate their festivals seven days previous to the Full Moon day of Tabodwé.

March - April

• Nat festival of U Min Kyaw, patron of gamblers, at Pakkhan Village near Pakkokku. Starts on 3rd Waxing Moon Day of Tabaung and ends seven days later.
• Kekku Pagoda festival at the very beautiful pagoda complex deep in the Shan hills. Three or four days before the Full Moon Day of Tabaung, Pa O nationals in the region gather by the thousands to pay homage to the shrines they hold most holy.
• Maw Tin Zun Pagoda festival, on the Southwest beach of Myanmar and part of the route is by a pleasant boat ride to Pathein, an interesting delta town where they make pretty parasols. Begins seven days previous to the Full Moon of Tabaung.
• Inn Daw Gyi Shwe Myitzu Pagoda festival, on a lake larger then Inle, in the Kachin State near Moe Nyin town. The pagoda is in mid-lake all year round but during festival time the waters fall to form a footpath leading the pagoda. Begins 8th Waxing Day of Tabaung.
• Bawgyo Pagoda of Thibaw, Shan State. Begins 10th Waxing Moon Day of Tabaung.
• Pindaya Cave Temple festival, in the Shan State not far from Inle. Begins 11th Waxing Day of Tabaung.
• Image with Glasses: in Shwedaung, near Pyay (Prome) there is Shwe Myet Hman Pagoda wherein is enshrined a huge Buddha image wearing glasses, donated by a man with poor eyesight. The three-day festival begins a day before the Full Moon Day of Tabaung.
• On the night before the Full Moon Day of Tabaung, pilgrims flock to the Shwedagon with offerings of food, flowers, fruits and candles and by permission obtained ahead, they stay all night and worship at dawn.

April - May

• Shwemawdaw Pagoda festival, Bago, 8th Waxing Moon Day of Tagu.
• 5 days of water festival preceding the New Year which usually falls on 17th April. All over the country, sidewalk platforms are built from which young people hose down passing open cars with revellers. People in the streets carry water guns or buckets to douse anyone seen on the street. Be careful about keeping your cameras safe. On that day fish, birds, cattle, etc are set free in an act of merit.
• Shwe Kyet Yet Pagoda water pouring ritual, near Mandalay. 14th Waxing Day of Kason. One day only when devotees pour water on the Bo tree on pagoda precincts. The same ceremony in all major pagodas in the country.

June – July

• Shite Thaung Pagoda festival, Mrauk Oo, Rakhine State. Begins seven day before the Full Moon Day of Kason. Traditional wrestling matches and rowing contests.
• Robe offering ceremonies, noviciation ceremonies and other religious rituals take place from April to the beginning of Lent which is the Full Moon Day of Waso, in June.
• Mostly religious ceremonies are held during Lent. In some places in the countryside, on the 1st Waning Day of Waso, people go out to the woods to pick wildflowers to offer at the shrines.

July - August

• Taung Pyone Nat festival, near Mandalay. Begins on the 8th Waxing Moon Day of Wagaung and lasts a week. This is the biggest Spirit festival in the country with mediums and devotees coming from all over the country to take part in the annual rituals of worshipping the two brother spirits, Min Gyi and Min Galay.
• Yadana Gu Nat festival which carries on when the Taung Pyone festival ends. This takes place on the banks of Taung Thaman Lake, Amarapura, which is also close to Mandalay. The ‘spiritual’ revellers carry on their merry-making here.

August – September

• Myo Daunt Zedi pagoda festival, Shwebo, Upper Myanmar. Begins 8th Waning Moon Day of Tawthalin.
• Hpaung Daw Oo Pagoda festival, Inle Lake, Shan State. 1st Waxing Moon Day of Thadingyut. The festivities of carrying the images around on a barge to villages on the lake last 18 days.
• Shwezigon Pagoda festival, Bagan. Begins on the 1st Waxing Moon Day of Thadingyut. Of special interest is the Full Moon Day’s ritual of offering a filled alms bowl to hundreds of monks and novices.

September – October

• Mya Tha Lun Pagoda festival, Magwe, central Myanmar. Begins 10th Waxing Moon Day of Thadingyut and lasts a week.
• Kyauk Taw Gyi Pagoda of Mandalay, a four-day festival ending on the day after the Full Moon Day of Thadingyut.
• Lights festival symbolising the end of Lent lasting three days, from a day ahead to the day after the Full Moon Day of Thadingyut. Celebrated all over the country. In some quarters of Yangon, streets are closed off in the evenings for open-air food and entertainment stalls.
• Light offering festival at the Shwedagon, on the night of the Full Moon Day of Thadingyut.
• Dancing Elephants festival, where manned cloth elephants compete in dance competitions, Kyaukse, near Mandalay. A 2-day festival beginning a day before the Full moon Day of Thadingyut.

October – November

• Chinese Buddhists hold festival of floating Shin Ugapput on a small raft, Yangon. The Chinese temple on Sin Oh Dan Street celebrates this event usually at the end of October but dates variable.
• Hindu Dipavali Light Festival, celebrated at Hindu temples all over the country. Date subject to change.
• Offering robes as well as other necessities to the monasteries. Markets, neighbourhoods, towns and villages collect donated items or cash and select a date to carry all of this with ceremony to the monasteries. The cash notes are folded into beautiful designs.
• In some quarters of Yangon, streets are closed off in the evenings for open-air food and entertainment stalls.
• Hot air Balloon Competition, Taung Gyi, Shan State. Six-day festival begins on the 10th Waxing Moon Day of Tazaungmone. Balloons made of cloth and paper and fuelled with fumes are judged for size, style, design and their ability to stay aloft for longer periods. On the night of the Full Moon, Taung Gyi townsfolk hold a parade carrying lanterns.

November – December

• Robe weaving contest, all over the country, and a major event at the Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon. The night before the Full Moon Day of Tazaungmone, teams of weavers compete to finish a robe during the night, to be offered to the images at dawn of the next day. Great excitement the whole night for competitors, supporters and onlookers.
• Candle Light Festival, Koe Htut Gyi Pagoda, Yangon. 9999 candles, an auspicious and holy number, of candles are lighted for this huge image on the Full Moon of Tazaungmone night.
• Kaung Hmu Daw Pagoda, Sagaing, 6-days festival begins on the Full Moon Day of Tazaungmone.
• Kachin Festival held in Myitkyina in some years.
• Popa Nat festival, Popa, near Bagan. A 6-day festival begins Full Moon Day of Nadaw.
• Christmas is celebrated at all churches and young people go carol singing. Friends of other religions also join in to celebrate at homes.
• Kayin New Year usually comes just after Christmas. The biggest event for the Kayin nationalities, celebrated with dance and song.
• 31st December night is celebrated at the Golden Rock Kyaik Hti Yo Pagoda with devotees lighting nine thousand candles at the shrine.