I f you are in Myanmar, whether you are new here or have lived for long time, you must have already noticed that Myanmar is a land of festivals and holidays. Most festivals based on are cultural and religious affairs. The dates of the festivals are determined by lunar calendar, based on cycles of the lunar phases. Having said that, out of three public holidays we have in January and February, only one is cultural or religious based.
Independence Day
Myanmar had ended 60 years of colonial rule when it officially declared independence from Britain on 4th January 1948. Independence Day celebrates Myanmar’s Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom as a National holiday. On 4th January every year, the ceremony to mark Independence Day is grandly held in two parts in Naypyidaw (the capital city)– the state flag raising ceremony, very early in the morning, where the message sent by the president is read out and the Independence Day dinner is held in the evening. Myanmar celebrates its Independence Day with a grand military parade. The armed forces showcase fighter jets, tanks, long-range artillery, missiles and helicopters. Ethnic minorities dressed in traditional outfits also took part in the event. In most Myanmar cities, Independence Day is marked by sport activities such as Potatoes Picking, Greasy Pole Climbing, Greasy Coconut ball game, Musical Chairs, etc. Local people totally enjoy the activities.
Potato Picking game is usually played by children in which potatoes are placed at one side and the competitors stay at other side. The competitors run and pick only one potato at a time and go back to the previous place to put it the tray. The one who can gather all potatoes first wins the game.
Greasy Pole Climbing game is usually played by four or five group of men. They try to climb up each other to make a human tower to try to stand tall enough to reach the at the top of the pole . They can get the flag at the top which is tied together with some pockets of money.
Greasy Coconut Ball game is usually played by children too. All players try to get the coconut which covered in used car oil grease. The goal post is a basket or pit in the ground for the coconut
Musical Chairs is game where the players in the circle walk around the chairs while music is playing. When the music stops, each player attempts to sit down in one of the chairs. As number of chairs is one less than the number of players, the player who is left without a chair is eliminated from the game. The game is played until there is only one player left in the game. He or she is the winner.
At the end of the day when all competitions are over, there are usually bigger celebrations in the evening with music concerts and or comedy shows together with the awarding of prizes ceremony to winners of competitions held earlier during the day. The funds needed to organize these festivals are usually funded by the people from the town or villages themselves.
Myanmar will mark its 68th Independence Day in January 2016.
Kayin New Year Day
The Kayins have been holding nationwide New Year festivals since 1939. The Kayin New Year falls on the first waxing day of Pyartho (usually in December, but sometimes in January). The date varies from year to year, since its calculation bases on the Myanmar lunar calendar. While Kayin New Year is an ethnic-specific holiday, it is also a public holiday and is celebrated all over Myanmar. There will be events, many of them of similar nature, all over Kayin State, Kayin quarters in Yangon and in other cities where Kayins dominate. The celebrations include Kayin Traditional dance such as “Don Yin Dance” “Kayin Bamboo Dance” and Boxing Matches. In Hpa An, the capital of Kayin State, many young and old Kayins wear their traditional colourful dresses as they walk all over the city and visit relatives. The largest Kayin New Year Ceremony is celebrated at Ahlein Nga Sint Pagoda compound, in Insein where majority of Kayin population reside in Yangon.
Union Day
Every February 12 in Myanmar is the Union Day and a public holiday celebrated as a memorial to the Panglong Agreement. The Panglong Agreement was signed on February 12, 1947 when 23 representatives from the Shan States, the Kachin hills and the Chin hills and General Aung San, head of the interim Burmese government, met in Panglong, Southern Shan State. General Aung San assured the ethnic people in his unforgettable remark that: “If Burma receives one kyat, you will also get one kyat.” One of its aims was to promote equality between the Burmese people and the non-Burmese hills ethnic people in Myanmar.
The Union Flag hoisting and saluting ceremony together with national races for commemoration of annual Union Day usually takes place at the square of Nay Pyi Taw City Hall.
