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Thingyan or
Water
Festival
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Burma
Festivals,
Thingyan or
Water
Festival
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Thingyan means a change-over
from the old to the new,
and it is an occasion for
much fun and merry-making.
Burmas use water liberally
to sprinkle, splash, pour,
hose, douse, soak or drench
each other. Thingyan
represents the washing away
of the grime of the old year
so that Burmas can enter
the new year, clean and
fresh in body and spirit.
Depending on who and
where you are, you may
be gently sprinkled with
scented water from an ornate
silver bowl containing
Thabye (Eugenia) sprigs and
leaves, splashed with water
from other pots, squirted by
a water pistol, hosed with a
power hose or doused with
buckets of water. Everyone
is involved — government
officials, members of the
diplomatic core, community
elders and etc. |
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The
Burmas usher in the New Year about
the 13th of April each year with a 3
to 4 day water festival. Historical
evidence suggests that this custom
of splashing with water was in vogue
in the country during the Bagan
Period over 800 years ago and has
developed into an established
cultural tradition.
Thingyan or Water
Festival Burma |
During the months of
Tangu
(March/April) and Kason (April/May)
the hottest month of the year, when
wells, ponds, lakes and streams have
dried-up, sages of yore were of the
opinion that all sentient beings
long for water and it becomes a
delight and a pleasure to splash
water onto each other at Thingyan.
In olden days, when Thingyan
arrived, it was customary for
Burma monarchs to order the royal
astrologers to have the artillery
commander fire
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the five cannons in front of
the Hluttaw (parliament
building). The sound of these
cannons was the signal for a
simultaneous volley from the 20
cannons surrounding the Hluttaw. In
a like manner, cities and towns,
rural villages and hamlets
throughout the realm, heralded the
Thing-yan by sounding gongs, drums
and kaledets (hollowed logs struck
to produce sound) .Offerings and
prayers are made at shrines and
pagodas. In every Burma household
water is poured into the Thingyan
flower vase containing Eugenia
flowers, with a prayer for the
health and well-being of all living
creatures.
Recently revelers have become more
violent using ice packets and water
balloons. The government ordered a
one-year jail sentence for anyone
found in possession of ice packets
or water balloons
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Thingyan or
Water
Festival |
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Burma
Festivals,
Thingyan or
Water
Festival, colorful
events,
festival,
regatta
festival,
pagoda
festivals,
thazaungdine
, taungbyone,
thingyan,
water
festival,
taung gyi
fire balloon
festival,
kite
festival,
music
festival,
fairs
festival,
food
festival,
balloon
festival,
Indian
festival,
art
festival, folklife
festival,
folklore
festival |
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