Myanmar is a Land of Festivals: a festival for every month of the year. Majority of the festivals are cultural and religious. Most are celebrated nation-wide while a few are distinctly regional. The dates of the festivals and special events are determined by the lunar calendar.

January (Nadaw/Pyartho)

Kachin Manao Festival (Kachin)

Ananda Pagoda Festival (Bagan)

Naga New Year (Sagaing)

February (Pyartho/Dabodwei)

Full Moon Day of Dabodwei (Countrywide)

Htamane Festival (Countrywide)

Mahamuni Pogoda Festival (Mandalay)

Salone Festival (Tanintharyi Division)

March (Dabodwei/Tabaung)

Shwe Dagon Pagoda (Yangon)

Kakku Pagoda Festival (Inle)

Full Moon Day of Tabaung (Countrywide)

Shwe Umin Pagoda Festival (Shan State)

April (Tabaung/Tagu)

Mann Shwesettaw Festival

Thingyan Water Festival (Countrywide)

Thanakha Grinding Festival (Rakhine)

Full Moon Day of Tagu (Countrywide)

Shwe Maw Daw Pagoda Festival (Bago)

Myanmar New Year Festival (Countrywide)

May (Tagu/Kason)

Full Moon Day of Kason (or) Bo Tree Watering Festival (Countrywide)

June (Kason/Nayon)

Pariyatti Sasana Examination

July (Nayon/Waso)

Full Moon Day of Waso

August (Waso/Wakhaung)

Taungpyone Festival

September (Wakhaung/Tawthalin)

Phaungdawoo Pagoda Festival

October (Tawthalin/Tadingyut)

Full Moon Day of Thadingyut

Dancing Elephant Festival (Kyaukse)

Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda Festival (Mon State)

November (Tadingyut/Tazaunmone)

Matho Thingan (Yangon)

Hot-air Balloon Festival (Shan State)

Full Moon Day of Tazaungmone

December (Tazaunmone/Nadaw)

9000 Lighting of Candles (Koe Htat Gyi Pagoda, Yangon)

Kayin New Year Day

Christmas Day

Thingyan Water Festival:

This traditional festival falls around 13th April and ushers to the Myanmar New Year. It is the merriest festival held for three or four days when people pour water over one another and there is much singing and dancing at decorated pandals. Boys and girls also go round in cars and enjoy themselves splashing water at one another. Pouring water is believed to cleanse the body and mind of evils of the year that was left behind.

There is merriment and fun galore. But it is not all fun and play; the elderly and the pious perform a lot of meritorious deeds to usher in the New Year. People keep Sabbath; go to pagodas; and offer food and alms to monks. Children and youths too welcome the New Year by paying respects to their parents, teachers and elders. To gain merit, fish and cattle are also set free. Through merriment and fun and through meritorious and pious deeds, the Myanmars usher in a New Year.

The Kason Festival:

It falls on the full moon day of Kason according to the Myanmar Calendar (early May). The full moon of Kason is a day of threefold significance - the day the Buddha was born, the day He attained Enlightenment and the day of His demise. Men and women of all ages go to pagodas in procession to pour water on the sacred Bo Tree. This is done as a mark of veneration to the Buddha who attained Enlightenment sitting under the Bo Tree.

The Waso Festival:

Full moon day of Waso in July commemorates the Buddha's first sermon. It also marks the beginning of Buddhist Lent. New robes and other temporal requirements are offered to the monks in the pomp and pageantry. Young people also go out and gather flowers of the season to offer at the pagodas.

Hot Air Balloon Festival (Taunggyi - Shan State)

Taunggyi is the capital of the Southern Shan State and it lies 1,430 meters above the sea level and has a moderate climate. The most significant festival is the annual Tazaungdine Lighting Festival which is around October and November. Lu Ping festival commonly known as hot balloon festival celebrates by Pa O, one of the many ethnic groups in the region.

On the 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.

Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda Festival:

The festival of Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda in In-le Lake in the Shan State held in October is the biggest occasion of the Lake. The images of the Buddha from Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda are placed on a decorated royal barge called Karaweik (Mythical bird) and taken around the Lake, stopping at villages for people to pay homage. The festival is held with great pomp and pageantry. Fun fairs and dances are also held. The unique and most interesting event of the festival, is of course, the holding of boat races participated by leg-rowers -- both men and women.

Pagoda Festivals:

Pagoda festivals are held for each pagoda. These festivals could be viewed as the Myanmar equivalent of western fun fairs. In a pagoda festival, one can find food stalls, toy shops, shops selling sundry consumer goods, magic shows, puppet shows and dramas. People -- young and old -- simply love to have a stroll around the place where there is a pagoda festival.

Elephant Dance Festival:

En route from Yangon to Mandalay, there lies a thriving town called 'Kynuk-se in Upper Myanmar -- situated some 26 miles to the south of Mandalay. This town is noted particularly for the elephant dance which is performed at annual Light Festival in the month of Thadingyut (October). The main feature of this festival is the elephant dance accompanied by colourful pageantries -- on live size white paper elephant decked with regal trappings carries on its back a replica of the sacred Tooth of Buddha or some relies of an Arahat while a black paper elephant follows as the finale of the procession. Each of these paper elephants is borne and animated by two men inside. The black paper elephant dance merrily to the procession music and thus it is the centre of attraction during the carnival.

Nowadays, the elephant dance no longer sticks to its native town alone. It has become one of the highlights in many auspicious celebrations throughout the country.