Myanmar has a lot of traditions that are held annually. But Thingyan is one of the most important days for people, and this Burmese New Year Festival is the first-ever water festival celebrated worldwide.

During this event, the Myanmar government allowed people to gather in mass numbers. Here is what you need to know about Thingyan, Myanmar's new year festival!

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As the first-ever water festival held in the world, Thingyan is famous for its celebrations. Thingyan has been celebrated since the first century AD in the Tagaung period and was widespread to the rest of Myanmar's land in the 10 to 12th century AD.

Thingyan is a Buddhist festival celebrated in Myanmar every new year based on the Burmese calendar. Since then, the Thingyan festival has been announced as one of Myanmar's public holidays.

At the same time, other countries celebrate their new year, such as Thailand with its Songkran festival and China with its Chinese New Year.

Thingyan is mostly celebrated in the first quarter of the year. It is celebrated in four or five days, and the dates of the Thingyan Festival are calculated based on the Burmese calendar. In 2023, Thingyan will be held from Thursday to Sunday, April 13 to 16.

On those dates, the Myanmar government will allow people to swarm in every city to celebrate Thingyan. Nowadays, people in Myanmar will have the pandals, the temporary water-spraying stations, as the main thing to run the water festival.

If you look for places to witness Thingyan's celebration, you can go to Shwedagon Paya, the epicenter of this water festival. Before the days, local Buddhists will gather around the temple and volunteer to enliven these valuable days.

Every year, Thingyan always brings excitement to people. There will be a celebration of water-throwing activities with the locals swarming the street and splashing one another. The water used in this festival is scented water infused with thabyaya, an evergreen tree.

Alongside the water-throwing activities, some people, especially teenagers, turn up loud pop music through big amplifiers to enliven the vibes. Then, there will be cheering, shouting, and speaking of wishes in the middle of the celebration.

As Myanmar's traditional festival, Thingyan is held in Yangon's capital city. On the celebration day, people will gather surrounded by dancers in colorful costumes performing their dance moves.

If you want to join the moment of these festivities, you can go to several public places, including Mahar Bandula Park, near the Sule Pagoda. Besides that, you can also witness joyful moments around the country, in temples and pagodas, or even in the street, amongst other big cities.

Want to witness the joyful moment of throwing water and other Thingyan's uniqueness? Get your flight ticket to Myanmar now.

You can order and book your flight tickets through Traveloka. Be prepared to be amazed by Thingyan's festival, and explore Myanmar to enjoy its hundreds of temples and pagodas.