Today in Myanmar » Myanmar Custom

Myanmar Thingyan 2010

Bamarlay — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 14:19:43 +0000

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 Myanmar New Year Thingyan water festival will take place from 14 April to 16 April all over the country. Myanmar (Burmese) people all over the world will also participate Thingyan water festival within Myanmar communities. Officially, Myanmar Thingyan will starts from 14 April, but many people, especially younger people and children will start throwing water at each other since 13 April, which is Pre-Thingyan Day. Every year, Thingyan water festival is the biggest event of the year in Myanmar. Tens of thousands of people from all classes in Myanmar (Burma) come out onto the street and joyfully participate in the festival. However, due to various reasons, this year’s Thingyan water festival is expected to be not as much crowded as previous years. If you want to know more about Myanmar Thingyan New Year Water Festival, here is an article in Myanmar Today about Myanmar Thingyan Water [...]

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Shoe Advice

Bamarlay — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:06:01 +0000

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 a few advice. Burmese usually don’t wear shoes or slippers in their house. Whether wooden floor, carpeted or cement/marble floor, we don’t wear shoes indoor. Thus it is advisable for a foreigner to remove his/her shoes or slippers before entering a house. There is usually a place at the entrance where the visitors could leave their shoes. Leave your shoe or slipper there. You don’t need to remove your socks. It is ok to have your socks on in a Burmese house. On pagoda, footwear of any kind is strictly prohibited. No shoes, no slippers, no socks, no stockings, no footwear of any kind. You have to walk BAREFOOT on the pagoda. If you wear socks on the pagoda, Burmese would consider it an insult to their religion. It was a source of intense political movement 90 years ago in British Burma when Europeans were allowed [...]

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Make Yadayar to promote your luck

Bamarlay — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:54:20 +0000

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 no equivalence in the western culture, and one difficult to explain to foreigners. Simply speaking, it is an act which is totally unconnected to the outcome you wish for, but which, in celestial meanings, has great influence over the expected outcome. For example, suppose you wish to sell your old car which you find difficult to attract any interested person, you go and ask for the advice from an astrologer. He will, base on his astrological calculations, which usually takes into consideration of the day you were born, provides you a yadayar. This yadayar might be a simple thing like hitting your car with a certain number of, say 7 roses, roses, or a complex task like hitting the car with the number of roses equivalent to your age, pouring coconut water over the car 7 times, all of which has to be done exactly at [...]

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A visit to Myanmar house – Dos and Don’ts

Bamarlay — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 13:59:18 +0000

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 him know of your visit in advance. It is a custom to remove your shoes before entering a Burmese home. Most of the Burmese houses have wooden floor which is meticulously cleaned, swept and polished. Even if the floor is a concrete one, it is always polite to take off your shoes. It is not necessary to bring a present to your host. It is not a custom for the visitor to bring any present for the host in Myanmar. Be careful of the manner if there is a Buddha’s shrine in the living room. Avoid pointing your feet to the Lord Buddha as it is considered an insult in Myanmar. A visit to Myanmar house – Dos and Don’ts is an article from Myanmar Today, a site about Myanmar news, culture, custom, information and travel advice. If you like our articles, why don't you link [...]

A visit to Myanmar house – Dos and Don’ts is an article from Myanmar Today, a site about Myanmar news, culture, custom, information and travel advice.

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Yaw Buddhish Religious Custom

Bamarlay — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:59:31 +0000

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 pagoda, where the Buddha’s image will be kept in a shrine overnight for the next day ceremony. After the ceremony, the Buddha’s image will be carried back to the original monastery with the same procession. Technorati Tags: Myanmar culture, Myanmar custom, Burmese culture, Burmese custom, Yaw, Saw, Laung-shae Yaw Buddhish Religious Custom is an article from Myanmar Today, a site about Myanmar news, culture, custom, information and travel advice. If you like our articles, why don't you link to us in your website? It is simple. Just copy and paste the following code somewhere into your webpage. We really appreciate your link to us. <a href="http://www.myanmar2day.com/">Myanmar Today</a> Related Posts Shin Pyu – Ordination ceremonary for Myanmar Buddhists Ah-lhu – a donation ceremony

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A Visit to a Pagoda – Dos and Don’ts

Bamarlay — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 13:53:21 +0000

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 shirts/T-shirts. The clothes should cover your body properly. Always remove both your Shoes & Socks, not only your shoes. You should walk on the pagoda with your bare foot. And take them off as soon as you enter the compound of the pagoda, usually before the first step of the stair. When you sit, avoid pointing your feet towards the pagoda, or any Buddha’s statue. Avoid talking loudly on the pagoda. Don’t touch any Buddha’s statue, except when offering gold foil to the statue. Avoid pointing your finger towards any Buddha’s statue. It is considered rude. Always try to walk behind, not in front of, anybody sitting on the floor praying at the Lord Buddha. Don’t litter and don’t make the floor dirty. This is a sacred ground. A Visit to a Pagoda – Dos and Don’ts is an article from Myanmar Today, a site about [...]

A Visit to a Pagoda – Dos and Don’ts is an article from Myanmar Today, a site about Myanmar news, culture, custom, information and travel advice.

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Shin Pyu – Ordination ceremonary for Myanmar Buddhists

Bamarlay — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:01:47 +0000

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 in his life as this will enable him to gain merit which will enable him, in his future lives, to gain Nirvana (enlightenment). Gaining Nirvana is the ultimate goal for any Buddhist. By entering the order of The Sangha, as a novice in this life, it will greatly enhance his Karma (Merit) in gaining Nirvana in later lives. Not only he will gain Karma, his parents will also gain the same Karma as him. Thus, it is the most important event for both the boy and the parents in his life. Usually, the boy who is around the age of 10 years will join The Order as a novice. There is no fixed age for entering the order as a novice, but he must be under the age of 19 years and 3 months. (In Buddhism, a person becomes alive at conception, so at 19 years [...]

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Burmese (Myanmar) Names

Bamarlay — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:10:50 +0000

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 so outdated although you can still find this name in some older people. Two syllable names (e.g. Zaw Moe, Khin Hla, Tin Oo, Tin Naing, Thet Wai) are mostly found in middle aged people. They are considered outdated by many parents. Three syllable names are a norm of today Myanmar. Examples of three syllable names include Moe Zaw Hein, Thant Zin Myint, Shein Myint Han, Khin Maung Aye, Thet Mon Myint. Now a days, many parents started giving their children four syllable or even five syllable names, such as Moe Tint Tint Zaw, Moe Hae Man Ko, Htet Htet Moe Oo (four syllable), and Hae Mar Hinin Hnin Khine (five syllable). When the parents choose the names of their children, they usually consult the astrologers. Burmese believe a person’s name can have a great influence on his or her future life. So they consider this a [...]

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Myanmar Etiquette – How to properly address a person in Myanmar

Bamarlay — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 11:03:43 +0000

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 U Ba. This is also true if the person you are addressing is a government official or somebody of high social status. When addressing an elderly female or a female official, address her with “Daw” in front of her name. (E.g. Daw Mya). When talking to a male of the same age and social status, you should put “Ko” in front of his name. (Ko Mya). If a female of the same age, use “Ma” instead. (Ma Mya). To a younger male, you can either use “Ko” or “Maung”. (Ko Mya or Maung Mya). To a female of younger age, use “Ma” also. (Ma Mya). To address children, use “Maung” for a boy and “Ma” for a girl. You should also be able to use proper pronouns when talking to Myanmar people. When talking with an elderly person, call him “Oo” or “Oo Lay”, which laterally [...]

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Myanmar Etiquette – Greetings in Myanmar

Bamarlay — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 03:53:13 +0000

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 Bar” is quite formal and nobody use it in the streets. It is only used in formal announcements on the airplanes! And it is not really Burmese. The expression was invented during the colonial period; a rather indirect translation of “Good morning”, “Good afternoon”, “Good evening”, or “Good day”. The closest literal meaning of “Mingalar Bar” is “have good things unto you”. So next time you meet a Burmese friend in the streets of Yangon, ask “where are you going?” instead. And remember, don’t ask this question to a stranger. This is only for friends. Technorati Tags: Myanmar Culture, Myanmar custom, Myanmar etiquette, Burmese culture, Burmese custom, Burmese etiquette Myanmar Etiquette – Greetings in Myanmar is an article from Myanmar Today, a site about Myanmar news, culture, custom, information and travel advice. If you like our articles, why don't you link to us in your website? [...]

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