Myanmar traditional New Year Atā Thingyan festival

Dec 5, 2024
UNESCO: Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity - 2024
URL: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/02085
Description: Atā Thingyan is a five-day festival that is observed in Myanmar to celebrate the traditional new year. Each community has its own customs, but common activities include pouring water on Buddha images and each other and joining meditation retreats. The festival represents a symbolic cleansing of the old year’s ‘dirt’, enabling a physical and mental ‘fresh start’. As the festival is a national holiday, many people return to their native towns and villages to reunite with their families and honour their elders.
Country(ies): Myanmar
© Living Myanmar, 2023