FESTIVALS

The Burmese have a festival for every month in their calendar. This calendar, traditionally consists of twelve lunar months. As lunar months differ from solar months in the number of days, an extra month, known as a “second Waso month” is added ever few years, a bit like a leap year. The Burmese ear 1355 begins in April 1993 and ends in mid-April 1994.However, for religious matters the Burmese use the Buddhist calendar. This is also the lunar calendar, but the calculations begin form the ear of Buddha’s Enlightenment. Thus, 1993 is 2536-2537 according to Buddhist Era.

*Sar-pyan-pwe is the time when monks take their examinations in the Buddhist scriptures. Sar-ya-dan-me-pwe is a festival in which lots are drawn lost for a Buddha image prize. Sar-so-dae-pwe calerates the poets and literary figures of Burma.