(During
January)
There are estimated more than 150,000
Nagas, comprising of 12 major tribes and
many sub-tribes, dwelling in Myanmar.
Since hundreds years, Nagas live high in
the Northwestern hills region, along the
India border, but in recent years, many
have moved to the Chin Dwin River Valley
around the Sagaing Division and Chin
State. Despite they share basically in
agricultural, hunting, and animal
husbandry lifestyle, each tribe has
developed in a different way that can be
observed in individual costumes, weaving
styles, bodies and facial tattoos,
head-dresses or hats and other
individualized ornaments. That there can
be proud and having people, Nagas are
well known that they are honest and
brave. They celebrate their Naga New
Year festival in January each year.
(During April)
This festival day falls in the month of
April. It is a celebration of enjoying
the water festival as well as welcoming
Myanmar New Year. The elderly and the
pious perform a lot of meritorious deeds
while the younger gather together to
joyfully sing and dance. If you like
getting wet, this is the only festival
which you should participate.
(During October)
Kyauk-Se is a thriving town which is
located on the Yangon-Mandalay highway,
where Light Festival and Elephant
Dancing Festival are held in the month
of Thadingyut (October). This is the
festival which mainly features the
elephant dance accompanied by colorful
pageantry. Nowadays, the elephant dance
is becoming one of the highlights in
many auspicious celebrations throughout
the country.
(During October)
Inle lake, being located at the 900
meters above the sea, is the second
largest natural lake with the hazy blue
mountains as backdrop. Paungdaw U pagoda
festival, held in “Inle Lake” every year
in the month of October, is one of the
biggest occasions in Inle area. The Budddha images from “Paungdaw U Pagoda”
are placed on a colorfully-decorated
barge and taken around the lake for the
dwellers to be paid homage. Moreover,
the festival is full of fun activities,
traditional dance and music and boat
races participated by leg-rowing
dwellers.
(During October)
Thadingyut is the seventh month of
Myanmar lunar calendar and the end of
lent. It is a three-day light festival ,
the day before full moon day, the full
moon day and the day after full moon
day. The essence of the festival is to
celebrate the anniversary of Buddha’s
return from the celestial abode. During
this time, houses, streets and pagodas
in towns and villages are beautifully
decorated.
(During November)
On this special occasion, people enjoy
fun and merriment by holding
firework-launching competitions. The
firework is in the form of rockets.
There is also hot balloons competitions
on the day and night occasions. Day
balloons are usually in the form of
Pagodas, and animals such as elephant,
dragon or ducks while the night balloons
usually in the shape of rugby ball, huge
elongated paper balls with small lighted
multicolored paper lanterns hung around
their sides and balloons would sting
along fireworks and fire sticks which
are set off mid-air fireworks.
(During
January)
Kachin is one of the states in Myanmar
where the delightful festival is held by
the Kachin people, the hill people.
Kachin Manaw festival, one of the most
popular festivals in Myanmar, is held in
the month of January. It is the
celebration of the New Year, Victory in
battles and reunion of the tribes.
Everyone delightfully joins the
spiritual dance lined up behind one
another. The traditional poles which are
beautifully decorated are placed in the
center of the festival ground. The main
feature of the festival is to dance
around the erected Manaw poles. This
festival is held in Myitkyina and Putao
in Kachin State.