Festival Days in Myanmar

JANUARY 2019

Kachin Manaw Festival
January 09-10
Location: Myitkyina, Kachin State

Kachin Manaw Festival is held in Myitkyina, the capital of northern Myanmar. The Kachin races, take great part in this festival and many Kachins from abroad come back to meet and dance at this special event. The Manaw dance is performed at Manaw Festival which originated as part of the Nat or spirit worship of the past.

Naga New Year Festival
January 12-18
Location : Layshi, Sagaing Devision

Naga New Year Festival is one of the rarest ceremonies in Myanmar. There are more than 49 different clans with their own distinctive dresses and dialects. They usually gather annually to celebrate the New Year which falls on January 15. They pray for abundant crops and domestic animals and to have good weather. Another aspect of this festival is reunion of relatives, who are away from home. They worship to their deities by scarifying the animals.

Ananda Pagoda Festival
January 15-20
Location: Bagan

Myanmar Traditional Shows and entertainments are shown during this festival. Local products can be bought and an interesting feature of the festival is the caravan of ox carts on the grounds of the pagoda situated under the shade of trees. The most popular time to visit the festival is full moon day of Pyatho, on the 20th January.

FEBRUARY 2019

Mahamuni Pagoda Festival
February 05-19,
Location: Mandalay

On the full moon day of Thabodwe, thousands of people from across the country gather up at this pagoda to burn a variety of incense sticks for the Myanmar Buddha image as a way of paying homage. Local snacks and handicrafts are sold with small straws.

Kyaik Khauk Pagoda Festival (Thanlyin)
February 14-20,
Location: Thanlyin, Yangon

Local produce, ceramic and all sizes of pottery items are available to buy at the many stands, along with furniture and bamboo mats. As with the majority of pagoda festivals, there is colorful evening entertainment on offer with Zats, Anyeints and stage shows.

MARCH 2019

Shwedagon Pagoda Festival
March 16-20 (Full Moon Day of Tabaung)
Location: Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda

Shwe Dagon Pagoda is the most well-known pagoda in Myanmar and this Pagoda Festival is one of the most visited festivals for pilgrims all over the country. There is a competition to weave the holy robes using traditional looms to be offered to the Buddha Images at the four corners of the pagoda before dawn. Monks recite the Holy Scriptures 24 hours continuously throughout the duration of the festival. Buddhist devotees pay homage every day and their donations go towards the preservation of the Pagoda.

Pindaya Cave Festival
March 18-20
Location: Pindaya

Shan Pa O, Palaung, TaungYoe, Intha, Danu groups residing around Pindaya come and camp under the huge banyan trees to take part in the festival. Hundreds of little stands offer delicious local food and Shan handicrafts. Diverse ethnic groups from across the Shan state visit the festival in their traditional costumes.

Kakku Festival
March 18-20
Location: Kekku Ancient Pagoda Complex, near Taunggyi, Southern Shan State

Pa-O people flock to the festival in their best costumes to pay homage to the pagoda on the full-moon day of Tabaung. The best time to see this is at dawn, on the full moon day, when villagers come with offerings to be offered to the Buddha Image. There is also a market during the festival days.

APRIL 2019

Water Festival
April 13-17
Five Days of throwing water and the last day is New Year day
Location: Throughout the country

1st day - eve day (13 Apr)
2nd day - beginning day (14 Apr)
3rd day - high celebration day (15 Apr)
4th day - receding day (16 Apr)
5th day - New Year's Day (17 Apr) {no more water splash}

The festival is held on the eve of Myanmar New Year to cleanse the evil deeds of the previous year with water. During festival days, the streets are crowded with children and young people enjoy splashing water on one another from open trucks and enjoy dance and music performances stages on road sides. Elders take shelter in monasteries and pagoda precincts. Most of the local restaurants, markets and museums are closed and due to heavy traffic flow, it is impossible to visit some tourist sites around Yangon and Mandalay.

Shwe Maw Daw Pagoda Festival
April 25 – May 06
Location: Bago

This pagoda festival is the biggest festival in this region. It is similar to the other festivals, with typical evening entertainment involving Zats, Anyeints and stage shows. Typical Myanmar goods and everyday household items are sold at the market stalls around the pagoda.

MAY 2019

Shit-Thaung Festival
May 15 -18
Location: Mrauk-U, Rakhine State
3 – Day ceremony ending May 18 (Full moon Day Of Kason)

Dummy boat races on land, real boat contests and water splashing in Mrauk-U canal on Full moon day. Traditional wrestling at the foot of the pagoda; finals held on Full moon day.

Full Moon Day of Kason
May 18
Location: Throughout the country

SEPTEMER 2019

Inlay Festival (Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival)
Sep 29: 1st Waxing day of Thidingyut
Location: Inlay, Shan state
18 - Day festival ending Oct 16

Every year, during the Myanmar Month of Thadingyut, Usually between September and October, the 18-days celebration is held. The celebration is held with the dates as per the Lunar Calendar of Myanmar. It starts on the first most important Waxing Moon day of Thadingyut and finishes several days after the Full Moon. Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda is one of the famous principal pagodas which houses five Buddha images. Four Buddha statues are ceremoniously tugged clockwise around the lake on the royal barge by leg-rowing boats. They return home on 3rd waning day.

Traditional dances and Leg-rowing boat races are held throughout the event.

OCTOBER 2019

Festival of Light
Oct 12-14 (One day before the Full Moon Day of Thadingyut, the Full Moon Day and one day after)
Location: Throughout the country

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 colored lanterns to symbolize this event. The festival of Light marks the end of Lent.

Kyaik-hti-yo Season
Oct 12: Fullmoon day of Thidingyut
Location: Kyaikhto, Mon State
Approx.9-month long season

The boulder, standing on the edge of peak in the highest mountain range, is said to be freely hanging over the cliff. Famous as pilgrimage and holiday outing spot.

Thidingyut Festival
Oct 12: 14th Waxing day of Thidingyut
Location: Throughout the country
3-day festival ending Oct 14

To mark the Lord Buddha came down from Heaven after spending three months of the Buddhist Lent there. Buddha's return is welcomed throughout the country with colorful illuminations.

Elephant Festival
Oct 12: 14th Waxing day of Thidingyut
Location: Kyauk-se
2-day festival ending Oct 14

It is held in Kyauk-se, 50 km near Mandalay.
From 14th Waxing day until Full moon day, numerous life-size dummy elephants sing and dance to the accompaniment of music. The dance is a marvelous performance of two men together to dance in rhythm. A huge elephant figure is made from bamboo and paper. People from far and near come to visit Kyaukse and watch the elephant dance.

NOVEMBER 2019

Balloon-flying Festival
Nov 05: 09th Waxing day of Tazaung Mone
Location: Taungyi, Shan State
8-day festival ending Nov 12
Typical Pa-Oh festival.

Hot air balloons are released day and night, competing over their beauty and the altitude they can gain. Visitors from all around Myanmar take a look at how the competes balloons are made, along with the competition between the different groups, for whom it is all about the most beautifully decorated and the highest ascending balloon.

Shwe-zi-gon Festival
Nov 08-11
Location: Nyaung-U, Bagan

Candles and fireworks are carried in procession before offering to the pagoda on 14th Waxing day. Alms-bowls are offered to monks; as they do at Ananda festival on Full moon day. Typical pilgrimage and holiday outings on country bullock carts can be seen. Traditional shows and performances are held throughout the festival. On the full moon day of Tazaungmone, there is a communal offering of food to the monks. Up to 600 monks arrive here from the surrounding monasteries.

Kaung-hmu-daw Festival
Nov 10: Full moon day of Tazaung Mone
Location: Sagaing
6-day festival ending Nov 15
Pilgrimage and holiday outing on country bullock carts can be seen.

Robe Weaving Contest
Nov: 11
Location: Throughout the country

Tazaungdine marks the thanksgiving season for Myanmar Buddhists. The festival of lights is celebrated throughout the country on the night of the full moon and the night before, which is the day of the robe weaving competition. The robe weaving contest is held on the evening before the full moon. In this competition, teams of women compete from dusk til dawn for the title of most skilled weaving team of the saffron-colored ‘Ma Tho Thin Gan’ robes.

DECEMBER 2019

Mt. Popa Nat Spirit Festival
Dec 11: Full moon day of Nadaw
Location: Popa

Mt Popa is famous place for spirits and he most important Nat places of worship in Myanmar.
Thousands of pilgrims from the rural areas and cities delight in participating in this festival.