Myanmar Life, Culture, Custom, Travel, Information
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
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
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,
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
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
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 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
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)
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
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