Myanmar has 12 different monthly cycle, signified by waxing and waning of the moon. A calendar in Myanmar displays both the English months, and Myanmar months. Each month has 29 days and 30 days alternatively. A month ends on New Moon Day, and a new month begins on the day after. The Full Moon Day is in the middle of the month, and depending on its significance in the Buddha history, they are holidays. Actually, I think our months are heavily related on Buddhist history, and our months may have descended from India.
The 12 months in Myanmar are:
Myanmar Calender English (Gregorian) Calendar Ta-gu March, April
Ka-sone April, May
Na-yone May, June
War-so June, July
War-gaung July, August
Taw-ta-lin August, September
Tha-din-gyut September, October
Ta-zaung-mone October, November
Na-daw November, December
Pyar-tho December, January
Ta-bo-dwe January, February
Ta-baung February, March
Tagu is the beginning month of the year, and Tabaung is the ending month.
Since the ancient time, festivals are held in each Myanmar month, but some festivals (like competitions for horsemanship, bowmanship, lancing held in Pyar-tho) are no longer celebrated. Festivals that are still being held are: Myanmar New Year Festival (or Thingyan Festival) held in Tagu, Watering of Bo Tree held in Kasone, Warso Robe Offering Ceremony held in Warso, Thadingyut Lighting Festival held in Thadingyut, and Tazaungmone Robe Weaving Ceremony held in Tazaungmone.
Well, now is the time for Thadingyut Festival!
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Thadingyut Festival marks the descend of Lord Buddha and his disciples from celestial abode, where they spent the Lent and Lord Buddha preached Abhidhamma (part of the Buddhist Cannon) to his mother who was reborn there to thank her back for giving birth to him. When he descended back down to earth, celestial beings created a stairways of stars back down to earth. Thus, it has become a tradition and a festival to mark that event by lighting candles at homes all over the country to celebrate the descend of Lord Buddha back to earth.
The
Buddhist Lent is the period from Warso to Thadingyut, and during that time, monks are not allowed to travel overnight. That's why monks are required to stay put in once place and spend the Lent there. The Lent ends on Thadingyut Full Moon Day.
Thadingyut Lighting Festival is a 3-day event: the day before the full moon, full moon, and the day after full moon. On that day, houses around the country lights up their homes either with candles or colored Christmas lights. Firecrackers are lit, but ones that make too much noise are banned. Some also send small hot air balloons in the air. Some lit the streets and pagodas by placing small earthen saucers filled with oil and a wick on the street sides. Also, some houses hang up
papier mache lanterns which are lit either with a candle or a light bulb.
Thadingyut also marks the time for couples to get married. It is tabooed that if you marry during the Lent, the marriage will not last. Thus, when the Lent is over, Thadingyut is the time for holding weddings. That's why single maidens and guys are kidded at this time, being told, "Wow.. it's almost Thadingyut. When do I get to eat ice-cream?" (It has become a custom to treat ice-cream at many weddings).
Thadingyut is also the time to pay respect to your elders and those whom you own gratitude. You ask for their forgiveness if you had committed any sins and they'll forgive you. It has become more of a tradition that you pay respect and give gifts like fruits, a box of cookies, longyi, etc. In return, the people whom you are paying respect to give back wishes and some pocket money. :) Every Thadingyut, we'll go to our grandparents, uncles and aunts and pay respect to them. When we were younger, we got pocket money, but now we don't get any anymore. hehe After all, we're working adults now who have our own money. :P
This year, 2007, Thadingyut Full Moon Day falls on the 26th. So that day is an official holiday in Myanmar. Public schools are closing before that day, after they finish sitting for 1st Advisory examination. I remembered from my old school days that this exam was quite important for us, and we called it the first preliminary final-exam. (There's the 2nd preliminary exam, and after the it's the final final exam.) After that, we have like 10 days vacation, I think. I don't know if the examination system has changed since our times. Private schools like YIEC are closed for this whole week. Unfortunately, offices are closed only for the Full Moon Day. :(
On Thadingyut, there's a lighting festival in Kyaikhtiyoe. I want to go there. ^_^ It's been a long time since I went there. I want to go there this time and take lots of photos, and blog about it! (Lately, I've been thinking of going on trips just for the sake of blogging about it!)
Tazaungmone also has a lighting festival. Taunggyi Balloon Festival is held in Tazaungmone. I guess people can still use the lights and old paper lanterns that they used in Thadingyut, so they celebrated it again. ^_^
(Sources for this post: Myanmar Delight, Modins)
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CHucky & Luna
Lunar calendars are quite typical... The western Calendar is based on the Solar Calendar, which maybe came from egypt and adopted by Romans, but don't quote me on that. In China and rest of Asia they still use a lunar calendar for fortunate telling. When I got married they used a lunar calendar to make sure the day was a good day to marry on. In the middle east Islamic calendars are based on the lunar calendar also. I generally think it was colonialism that brought the solar calendar to many countries in the world.