January 4 Independence Day; national holiday in memory
of gaining independence from the British colonial reign. The celebrations
last for a full week.
February 12 Day of the Burmese Union; national holiday
including parades in Yangon and dances performed by hill tribes
in traditional dress.
March 2 Peasants Day; national holiday with parades in
memory of General Ne Win seizing power on the same day in 1962.
March 10 Dry Season Celebration; national holiday.
March 27 Day of the Army; national holiday with parades.
April Thingyan; traditional Burmese New Year celebration equalling
the Songkran celebration in Thailand; during the festivities people
douse each other liberally with water; in Mandalay the celebrations
are the most exuberant. The festival is celebrated according to
the moon calendar and therefore occurs on variable dates.
May 1 Labour Day
May Kason; mobile national holiday in remembrance of the
birth and the first sermon of the Buddha.
July eginning of the Buddhist Lent; the exact date depends
on the moon calendar. This date is preferred by Burmese and Buddhist
men of the neighboring countries, who intend to enter monkhood.
July 19 Martyrs Day; national holiday in memory of the
murder of Aung San on the same day of 1947.
October End of the Buddhist Lent; the date of the finale
celebration of the Buddhist Lent depends on the moon calendar,
as well.
November 11 National Holiday
November Tazaungmon; mobile celebration day, as it has
to coincide with a fullmoon night; in that night there are competitions
of unmarried young women in weaving cloth.
December numerous minor festivals in honour of
various spirits.
December 25 Christmas Day
This page: http://www.cockatoo.com/english/myanmar/myanmar_holidays.htm
