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MYANMAR FESTIVALS
Myanmar has at least a festival in every month. Especially it falls on the full moon day of every month.

January (Pyatho) - Equestrian Festival
10th month of Myanmar calendar and the Equestrian Festival is held in this month in the days of Myanmar Kings. Independence day also falls on 4th of January and Athletics competitions are held all over Myanmar as the memorial of gaining Independence from the British colony.

February (Tabodwe) - Harvest Festival(Htamanae Pwe)
11th month of Myanmar calendar and the Harvest Festival is celebrated in this month to give thanks to the Gods for good harvest and a time to relax and enjoy the well-earned rest. The highlight of this festival is the communal preparation of Htamane or the glutinous rice which includes peanuts, sesame seeds and strips of coconut.

March (Tabaung) - Sand Stupa Festival
12th month of Myanmar calendar and this month has the Sand Stupa Festival. The Shwedagon Pagoda festival is also celebrated on the full moon day of Tabaung with Pwe Zay (so many variety of shops and snack shops).

April (Tagu) or Thingyan (Water Festival)
The 1st month of Myanmar calendar and the popular and famous festival is Thingyan festival (Water festival) and all of Myanmar people participate happily in this festival. It falls in Tagu (Myanmar month) or Mid of April of the calendar. This month is the hottest in Myanmar so the people pour water each other since Bagan era. It is also Myanmar New Year. Tagu is the first month of Myanmar calendar and it usually takes 4 dyas, Ah Kyo day (the eve of water festival), Ah Kya day (first day of water festival), Ah Kyat day (Middle day of water festival) and the Ah Tak day (Final day of water festival).The schools are closed summer holiday including this festival for 3 months after the examination and the government approved 10 days as the public holiday. The new year day many people make donations to all levels of people for free traditional Myanmar food such as Moat Lat Saung (rice jelly in green colour with coconut milk), Shew Yin Aye ( Sagu, sticky rice, moat lat saung, jelly and a slice of bread with coconut milk),Sagu, Moat Lone Yepaw (Sticky rice inside jaggar with coconut) etc.,

May (Kason) - The watering the Bodhi Nyaung Tree
The 2nd month of Myanmar calendar and on the full moon day of Kason, all of the Buddhist people are watering the sacred Bodhi Nyaung Tree. On this day the Buddha was born and he attained the Enlightenment under this Bodhi Nyaung Tree and also he died and entered Heaven.

June (Nayon) - (Sayetanmae Pwe)
The 3rd month of Myanmar calendar and the religious examinations are held for the monks.

July (waso) -Full Moon Festival Waso
This festival is held to mark three pivotal points in the life of Siddhartha Gautama on his path to become the Buddha: his conception, leaving his life as prince for that of a wandering ascetic, and his first sermon to his pupils. Waso month in Myanmar is time beginning the rain season. This is also the beginning of Buddhist Lent. The monks are not allowed to get out of the monastery at night. However, they are still begging for alms during the day despite the rain. Therefore they need more clothes, that is the reason why this month people donate clothes to the monk to use in the rain season.

August (Wakhaung) - Offerings Month
The 5th month of Myanmar calendar and it usually rains heavily. Because of the heavy rain, the Buddhist monks cannot get enough food and offerings from the people, so Myanmar Kings held religious festival to offer food and alms to the monks. From that time, it is a custom to offer the things to the Buddhist Monks.

September (Tawthalin) - Boat Rowing Competition Festival
The 6th month of Myanmar calendar and the boat rowing competition festival is held.

October (Thidingyut) Thidingyut Lighting Festival
The 7th month of Myanmar calendar and another popular festival is Lighting festival. It falls on the full moon day of Thidingyut. It is held after the Buddhist Lent and the celebration to descending Buddha from Heaven after preaching his died and reborn mother in Heaven as god for gratituding to his birth. It last 3 days and they are before the full moon day, the full moon day and the day after the full moon day. During this festival, the people are lighting the candles and colourful electric bulbs to offer the Buddha. The people offer the variety of food stuffs and gifts to the aged. The aged wish to be good luck and give back to the young ones some pocket money and it usually become a custom of Myanmar people.

November (Tazaungmon) - Tazaungdaing Festival
The 8th month of Myanmar calendar and Tazaungdaing festival is celebrated. It is a religious festival and celebrated illuminating homes, buildings and streets. The main activity is offering robes to Buddha Images and to the monks. It is also called "Kahtain". Nowadays the lighted hot air balloons festival is held in Taunggyi. It is very popular and famous festival for the locals and foreigners.

December (Nadaw) - Sasodaw Pwe (Authors' Day)
The 9th month of Myanmar calendar and in this month, the writers and authors who have achieved success in various fields of Literature are awarded. They travel all over the country to meet their readers and hold seminars and talks. The 9th month of Myanmar calendar and in this month, the writers and authors who have achieved success in various fields of Literature are awarded. They travel all over the country to meet their readers and hold seminars and talks.

Reference
MYANMAR FESTIVAL. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2020, from https://www.emeraldmyanmartravels.com/myanmar-festivals/