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MYANMAR CULTURE & TRADITION

NOVITIATION CEREMONY
Novitiation ceremony is the unique characteristic in Myanmar. This ceremony usually celebrates during the school holidays, mostly
in summer holidays at March & April before the water festival. In the Myanmar tradition the boys are compulsory to enter the
Buddhist order for a week or more.
In the Myanmar Buddhist tradition it is compulsory that every boys over eight years old to twenty have to enter the Buddhist Order
for a week or more as a novice and over twenty they have to enter the Order again as Ordained Monk. At least twice in his life he
becomes a member of the Order and sometimes even more. They stay at a monastery is not considered a hardship because it is a
blessing for the whole family as well as for the boys themselves. Monks or novices can stay as long as they wish.
A formal Novitiation ceremony involves a parade around the pagodas on the first day with the boys all dressed up as princes. In the
afternoon their heads will be shaven and they will enter the Order. On the same day or the next there will be a feast for monks and
invited guests. If sisters of the Novices have their ears pierced at the same time, they also are the important participants in the
celebrations.
At the ceremony the line of a dozen cars drive orderly with musical troop follow an a roofless truck car playing music and songs
loudly for dancer who take place on the roof top with funny dance to amuse people. To pay homage to the Buddha they go to a
famous pagoda at their town, parade clockwise to the pagoda, the parents take place at the front, the fathers carry the Alms bowl
and fan and the mothers carry the casket contain robes. Next to them are Monks-to-be and Novices-to-be with their attended
holding Gold umbrella over them and a group of girls carry decorated offertories follow them in line. Musical troop and their merry
making dancer make all the funs and tease the girls. After the pagoda they have to visit a nat (sprit) shrine for homage. Then finally
go to the monastery shave the hair and ask permission from the Abbot to be novice. As a novice he has to observe eight precepts
and learn the Buddha teachings from his preceptor.
Novitiation is the obligation for every parent, rich or poor, since it is believe to be a great meritorious deed which could prevent
them to be at the evil realm.

PUPPET SHOW
Puppetry is the most popular show in Myanmar arts and culture. The puppets are backed by expert manipulators who conversed,
joked and relative humorous stories through their puppets to the delight of the audience. At least four manipulators took charge of
a character using handling rods and strings at the back of the curtain and give voice to the puppets. Puppets are beautifully dressed
in lavish embellishment with gilded materials and semi precious gems, depends on their characters.
Puppet shows usually take place at pagoda festivals, which are like country fairs. Marionette theatre is now mostly confined to
tourist venues in Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan.

THANAKA
One of the first thing that the first time visitors notice sooner or later is the faces of the women of all ages and children coating with
yellowish white substance.
Then they ask the guide: What is that white stuff on their faces? What is that for?
The guide explain them proudly about the "Thanaka" which is the beauty secret of Myanmar women. In the bedroom of a Myanmar
woman on the floor besides the dressing table there has an 8" long Thanaka wood cutting, a flat circular surfaced whetstone or grind
stone and a small water bottle with a pore on the lid. After a bath she sits at the whetstone put several drops of water on it and rub
the Thanaka cutting on the whetstone continuously at a circular motion with body pressure. Because of the friction of water soaked
whetstone and the Thanaka wood bark the paste forms on the whetstone. When the enough paste of Thanaka deposited on the
whetstone, it has collected by forefinger and apply on the face and body.
Thanaka is truly an organic medication for a skin condition and multipurpose. Since mildly astringent and emits a fragrant aroma it is
good to use as a combination of skin conditions, perfume and cosmetic.
It cools the skin; control oiliness by tightens pores and thus prevents pimples, as well as being a most effective sun block. Its use
originated with the women when transplanting rice seedlings in the paddy fields on the month of July, August under the tropical sun
exposure. To protect from excruciating hot rays of the sun, the women wear thick layer of Thanaka on their arms and faces. For the
city girls Thanaka is applied for beauty as natural make-up and for fragrant aroma.
It should say Thanaka is the gift of the Saint to Myanmar women. Because Thanaka trees are very hardly thrive well on non-fertile
soil of Upper Myanmar arid region where there has a little rainfall. Thanaka trees are perennials and the age must be 35 years old to
be mature enough to yield good quality cuttings.

THINGYAN WATER FESTIVAL


Thinngyan, the Water Festival is the most unique and colourful with the merriest occasion in Myanmar. During Thinngyan days the
people throwing water each other since the Myanmar believe that Thinngyan water has the power to cleanse the evil and sins of the
old year. The water festival called "Thinngyan" falls on the last four days before Myanmar New Year day, which is in the second week
of April roughly on the twelfth or thirteenth, according to the Gregorian calendar. Thinngyan water festival time is the merriest time
for Myanmar young and old. Almost the whole populations are in the most joyous mood; roam around the city in cars or on foot to
throwing and splashing water each other.
Elaborately decorated pavilions and pandals called Mandats are built beside of almost every street in front of government offices
and private business establishments. Special Thingyan songs play all the time. Some pavilions have raised platform for traditional
dance performance. It is really eye-catching, beautiful Myanmar damsels sporting springs of yellow Padauk blossoms in their hair
and a round patch of traditional Thanakha on their cheeks. All the people, mostly young boys and girls, some not-so-young,
sometimes parents and kids ride on the open top jeeps, and pick-up trucks come to the pavilions to play water and to see the
dance.
The Myanmar believes that Thinngyan water has the power to cleanse the evil and sins of the old year. There is an interesting legend
attached to this festival. It is believed that the king of celestial beings - Thagyarminn - descends to the earth on the first day of
Thinngyan to take note of how mortals behave. He records good deeds on a gold parchment and bad on a parchment made from
dog skin. The time the celestial king descends marks the beginning of the 'change' (Thinngyan comes from a Sanskrit word which
means change).
While Thinngyan is a time for fun, it is also a time for religious reflection. People go to temples to do merit and offer food to monks,
pay homage to elders and bathe Buddha images. Food is prepared and offered to one and all. Young people pay respects to their
elders by washing their hair, cutting their nails and offering them gifts.

NAT PWE (NAT-FESTIVAL)


Myanmar has its won special breed of spirits or nat, as well as these more common ancestral and ephemeral types. With their roots
in Hindu as well as prehistoric animistic cultures, Myanmar's multitudinous unofficial 'outside' nats can be found at every gate-post,
village entrance and temple, standing guard in their nat shrine (nat houses) over a dazzling array of territories.
Nat-Pwe illuminates the still active cult of the thirty-seven nats in the forgotten land of Burma. Difficult to define, nats are the beings
between a spirit and a god. They are powerful beings, hard to placate and easily upset, that can be bestowed both good fortune and
bad luck on their followers. The cult has numerous devotees, shrines and annual festivals of particular nats.
KO GYI KYAW SPIRIT FESTIVAL
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 honor is celebrated in his home town, Pakhan in Yayza Gyo Township for eight days.

TAUNG PYONE SPIRIT FESTIVAL


Taung Pyone Spirit Festival is a popular festival usually held in August at Taungpyone near Mandalay. According to tradition, Nats are
spirits that must be appeased or they will wreak havoc in peoples' lives. The two Nat Brothers honored during Taungpyone Nat
belong to the 37 well-known Myanmar Nats.
The story of the two Nat Brothers originated during the rule of King Anawrahta, when it was the duty of every person in the Kingdom
to contribute a brick and a handful of sand for the construction of a Pagoda. The brothers failed to contribute their share and orders
came from the King for them to be mildly punished. Unfortunately, the Nat Brothers were accidentally killed.
The King was remorseful and built a big Nat (spirit) shrine by the side of the Pagoda honoring the two brothers. The homage-paying
festival is now held annually to appease the spirits as it is believed that the Nat Brothers can fulfill your wishes, protect you from ill-
fate and danger, and bring good luck, prosperity and progress.
YADANA GU SPIRIT FESTIVAL
This festival honours the mother of the two Taung Pyone spirit brothers. She is the Goddess of Popa and her main shrine is on Popa
Crest, near Bagan. She too is a powerful spirit and protector of women.

KASONE FESTIVAL
Kasone Festival is the one of ritual event of pouring water to Bodhi tree (Bo Tree / Ficus Religiosa). The festival takes place on the full
moon day of Kasone; this day is also known as the Buddha’s day. Pilgrims pour water on the Bodhi trees in pagoda compounds to
keep them fresh in the summer heat of May.
The processions of men and women of all ages can be seen on the platform of local pagoda with their fine attire. Young women and
men dressed their finery and carrying earthen pots in their hands or their heads and go to pour the sacred Bodhi tree at the Pagoda
platform. Food is also served after the ceremony occasionally. People perform the others charitable acts on this day.

THTA-MANÉ FESTIVAL
This country - wide traditional festival celebrates on or around full-moon day of Tabaung in Myanmar calendar among the Myanmar
community. The celebration on a good harvesting, although the name actually comes from the food made of glutinous rice cooked
with groundnuts, coconut shreds, sesame oil, ginger and garlic traditional eaten at this time or year. It is cooked in water and then in
oil in large, concave iron cooking pots.

HTAMANE'
Htamane' is one of the famous Myanmar traditional edibles made from sticky rice. Stick rice is the major ingredient and others such
as cooking oil, peanut, sesame, coconut flakes, garlic, onion and water are to cook in a huge pan/wok on a big stove using fire-wood.
Since the diameter of the pan/wok is over 3ft in diameter (4) strong men are required to operate a pan to cook. While cooking the
continuous stirring is required for evenly cooked. Then (4) strong men have to stir with (4) big long wooden spoons like oars to cook
evenly. When cooking end you can try the delicious and nutritious "Htamane". Then taking some for offering Buddha and monks and
all the rest are made into packets and sharing the neighbor.

FESTIVAL OF LIGHT
Myanmar has lighting festivals in October and November as Thadingyut Lights Festival and Tazaungmone Lights Festival.

THADINGYUT LIGHTS FESTIVAL


Thadingyut Lights Festival is held on the full moon day of Thadingyut in October marks the end of the Budditst Lent. It lasts for three
days during which houses and streets in cities and towns are brilliantly illuminated. Pagodas are also crowded with people doing
meritorious deeds. It is not only a time of joy but also of thanks giving and paying homage to teachers, parents and elders.
After three months of quiet, Myanmar takes on a festive mood again. The three-day Festival of Lights during Thadingyut symbolizes
the return of the Buddha from heaven and angels lighting the path of his descent to earth.

TAZAUNGDAING LIGHTS FESTIVAL


Tazaungdaing Lights Festival is held on the full moon day of Tazaungmon according to the Myanmar Calendar (mid-November).
Houses and public buildings are colorfully illuminated everywhere. Kathina robes and other requisites are offered to the Holy Order
at Kahtein festival (ceremony of offering robes to monks). The offering of Mathothigan is held on the eve of the Full Moon Day of
Tazaungmon. Mathothingan is a robe that is woven in a day. Today, teams of weavers compete with one another to complete
weaving robes overnight. The woven robes are then offered to the great images of Buddha.

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