If you travel in Chin Hills, you will see many stone slabs erected on the side of the road. They are all written in Chin language so you won’t know what the meaning is. They are actually the memorial stones…
Culture & Custom
Culture and custom of Myanmar people
A Visit to a Pagoda – Dos and Don’ts
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When visiting Myanmar, visiting a pagoda will be an integral part of your visit as there are hundreds of ancient pagodas in Myanmar, including Shwedagon, and the best way to observe Myanmar arts. Here are a few tips for you.…
Shin Pyu – Ordination ceremonary for Myanmar Buddhists
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Shin Pyu is an essential and integral part in a life of a Burmese Buddhist male. “Shin Pyu” is a ceremony in which a young Buddhist male becomes a novice in the order of The Sangha. For a Burmese Buddhist…
Eight Days a Week
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According to Burmese astrology, there are eight days in a week. They are Sunday, Monday. Tuesday, Wednesday (till noon), Rahu (Wednesday afternoon till the next morning), Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Burmese people believe that the astrological day a person was…
Burmese (Myanmar) Names
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Unlike western names, there is no family name in Myanmar. Women keep their maiden names upon marriage, and children can have names which bear no relation to their parents’ names. Burmese names are either one, two or three syllables. One…
Myanmar Etiquette – How to properly address a person in Myanmar
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In Myanmar, if you want to be seen polite, you should be able to use proper title when you address somebody. Burmese use appropriate titles and pronouns when addressing each other. When you are talking to an elderly male, you…
Myanmar Etiquette – Greetings in Myanmar
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When you meet a friend in an English speaking country, you say “Hi”, or “How are you?”In Thailand, you say “Sawaddee”. In Myanmar, you usually say either “where are you going?” Quite strange, right? In Myanmar, we don’t have an…
Payae (Payel) Facial Tattoo
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People in Chin Hills used to have the custom of tattooing (Payae) the face of the women. Nobody is really sure how the custom became established, but a legend was that hundreds of years ago, Burmese kings and nobles used…
Have you already finished your lunch (dinner)?
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If you ever have an experience of visiting a Burmese friend’s house in Myanmar, you will remember that you had been asked a particular question. “Have you already had your lunch/dinner?” is the question that we Burmese always ask our…
Myanmar Etiquette – General Rules
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Myanmar is a country of people with deep rooted custom and religion. For a westerner visiting Myanmar, there are a number of things that they need to observe. Some of the Myanmar etiquette rules may be strange for westerners. However,…