People all over Myanmar (Burma) will be celebrating New Year Thingyan water festival next week. The traditional Myanmar Thingyan water festival is a similar event to a much well known Thai Songkran. However, it is more widely and fiercely participated by all class of Myanmar (Burmese) society all over the country. This year’s 2010...
Unlike westerners, Burmese don’t wear shoes or slippers indoor. They don’t wear shoes or slippers on the pagoda. It is important that visitors to Burma should pay proper attention to this custom when visiting Myanmar. To give a rough idea what a foreigner should observe about footwear, we would like to give our readers...
Yadayar is a custom of Burmese people, done to promote one’s luck. Originally a belief of Indian Hindi Brahmans , it has established itself as a Burmese custom, even incorporated into Buddhist belief of Myanmar people (although it is a total contradiction to the teachings of Lord Buddha). It is a concept which has...
If you are a foreigner, especially outside of South East Asia region, here are a few guidelines for you to pay attention to when visiting a Burmese friend at his home in Myanmar. It is not necessary to call your host in advance before visiting him. However, it is a polite manner to let...
I was visiting a small remote town (actually a large village) in Yaw region. It was Laung-shae, a very ancient town in Myanmar, and situated in Saw township. I saw these local people on a religious procession on a Buddhist holy day. They are carrying a Buddha’s image from the monastery to the central...
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. Always wear proper clothes that are not revealing. Avoid wearing shorts, miniskirts, and sleeveless...
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 male, it is important for him to be a novice for a certain period...
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 syllable names (e.g. Ba, Mya, Hla) are no longer in used as they are...
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 should put “U” (pronounce Oo) in front of his name. Thus, Mr. Ba becomes...
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 informal phrase or expression to be used as a greeting. The famous phrase “Mingalar...
