Thingyan, the water festival leading to the Burmese New Year
“Who doesn’t love a smashing new year’s party? What if I told you this party lasts a few days, takes place in the sunny outdoors and involves insane amounts of water… That’s Thingyan, the waterfestival leading to the Burmese New Year. The festival takes place throughout Myanmar around mid-April, during the country’s hottest period. Similar waterfestivals are celebrated in the neighbouring Buddhist countries Thailand, Laos (Songkran) and Cambodia (Chaul Chnam Thmey). Photo: The longest shower!
We were lucky enough to be in Myanmar for Thingyan. It’s the most important public holiday in the country and we were told that the best place to celebrate, is in the capital. So we set off to Yangon a couple of days before the festival as there is very limited transportation during the festival.
I hadn’t expected the water festival to be a big deal. Boy, was I wrong! It started in the taxi on the way to the centre. The driver had covered the seats and dashboard with plastic.”
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Two essentials for the Festival: cooked snacks and large water pistols! |
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Acknowledgement: This post Thingyan, Water Festival in Myanmar first appeared on TravelCake.net
Watch the action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJlwTQPPmcI