Myanmar is rich in natural resources, culture, and also people.
I find their way of writing numbers fascinating. It is different form the usual way of writing 1, 2,3,etc. Here's an example of their number system.
In Myanmar, a person has no family name. They only have names which is different from the usual naming system. Burmese name their child according to the day of the week or the date of birth or even from a certain characteristics:
| Day | Included Characters |
| Sunday | ah, oh, u (oo), ok |
| Monday | ka, kha, ga, nga |
| Tuesday | sa, za, nya |
| Wednesday | wa, la, ya, ra |
| Thursday | pa, pha, ba, ma |
| Friday | tha, ha |
| Saturday | ta, hta, da, na
|
| Day | Names in Myanmar |
| Sunday | ta-nin-ga-nway |
| Monday | ta-nin-lar |
| Tuesday | in-gar |
| Wednesday (Morning & afternoon) | bote-ta-hu |
| Wednesday (Evening) | yar-hu |
| Thursday | kyar-thar-pa-day |
| Friday | thauk-kyar |
| Saturday | sa-nay |
There are also a lot of people groups in Myanmar. Some of them are the Kachin, Kayah, Chin, etc.
When it comes to its cultural events, Myanmar has a lot.
According to my Myanmars.net, Myanmar has monthly festivals. These festivals are based upon the lunar system. There are 12 seasons in the Myanmar calendar. In every season a festival is held which are called seasonal festivals.
Of the 12 seasonal festivals, two have the background of Hindu-Brahmanic belief - the Thingyan or water festival held in April depicts the legend of Sukka and Brahma the two Hindu Deities and the Maha Peinhnè Festival held in December is the Festival of another Hindu deity "Ganesha". Eight festivals held in May, June, July, August, October, November, February and March are associated with the Lord Buddha, Buddhism and Buddhist culture and two festivals held in September and January are royal festivals namely the Royal Regatta and Royal Equestrian Tournament respectively.
Just as the Royal Regatta held in September was the display of the king's "water forces", equestrian tournaments were a sort of military parade of royal "land forces" including horses, elephants, chariots, foot soldiers, archers, shieldsmen, swordsmen, lancers, and so on. Later, about 14th century A.D, gunmens and artillerymen appeared in Myanmar land forces.
The Myanmar Traditional Equestrian Festival has two programmes - display and contest. Thirty seven different modes of horsemanship and thirty seven different styles of wielding the lance were demonstrated by select equestrian warriors. Men of letters of different historical periods have described them in verses of diverse forms. Also in Myanmar classical music and songs we find many compositions on the equestrian tourney. One outstanding piece of literary work on the 37 modes of horsemanship and 37 styles of lance playing are the 37 Luta verses and 37 songs composed by Maha Dhamma Thingyan, royal adviser to Kings Bodawpaya (A.D. 1819) and Bagyidaw (A.D 1819-1837).
In contests or tournaments 17 ways of horse-riding used in war and Myanmar traditional martial arts were demonstrated such as equestrian combat, combat on elephant back, horse race, horse riding, lance throwing, etc. The equestrian tourney was called in Myanmar "Set Thwin Pwe" or "Set Hto Pwe" because equestrians contested in lance-throwing to hit the centre of circular targets on poles. The King or the chief queen awarded the winners with scarves woven with gold or silver threads and a bunch of Thazin orchid.
Dr. Khin Maung Nyunt
The Myanmar Regatta Festival is a grand flotilla and a parade combined with 15,000 men, 320 war elephants, some 500 steeds and over 1,000 boats, barges, and water crafts of all sizes and kinds.
In October, Myanmar holds the Fourth Myanmar Traditional Performing Arts Competitions at Yangon from 3 to 10 of the month. In this competition, the Government aims to revive, preserve, and promote Myanmar's cultural heritage which is the core of national identity.
Singing, dancing, music, song composition, and marionette performance are the coverage of the competition. Under each were different types and categories to compete in such as traditional, folk, classical and modern in the case of singing and dancing. In music, the competitors can play string( harp and violin) , wind (flute and oboe)and percussion instruments (drums, gongs, cymbals, etc).
The competitions are held according to gender, age, and also to the educational and professional qualifications.
Besides these kind of festivals there are also religious occasions such as the offering of Thin-bok (a Myanmar word derived from Pali and means "food offered to the Buddha") Swoon a Rakhine Buddhist Festival where there are also colorful dancing, lively music and songs. Often there are processions where the local people dress up in all their finest clothes and go to a pagoda to make offerings. The festival is held every year on the Full Moon Day of Tazaungmone which usually falls in November.
The festival probably originated as a harvest festival, a time of prayer and of offering to the newly harvested rice to the pagoda. The rice offering to the Buddha images are made every year with the intention of bringing peace and prosperity to the whole country, for an abundant harvest, adequate food and for the health and happiness of the people.
Another Cultural event is the Elegant Lotus Robe where yellow robes are offered to the Lord Buddha in different seasons. These robes are known as Waso-thingan (offered on the occasion of Wazo), Kahtein-thingan (offered to the Buddha and his congregation of monks), Matho-thingan ( robe woven on the full moon night of Tazaungmon and which must be completed before the sun rises the next day for offering at sacred images of the Buddha), Kyar-thingan, and Pantthaku-thingan.
Some regard the lotus robe as the noblest and most sacred one because it is meant as an offering to the future Buddha aspiring for Enlightenment or Buddhahood.
Although the length, size and colour are the same as the ordinary robe, it is not so heavy but light, strong and much more beautiful. You can smell the fragrance of lotus from a freshly woven lotus robe. This lotus robe can give coolness in the hot season and warmth in the cold season.
Kyi Kyi Hla
Wow! Myanmar really has a rich culture. Through these systems, festivals, and events they are able to preserve the culture that was passed from generations to generations.
'til next time,
jojo
