Thingyan

The name "Thingyan" (, ; Rakhine: ) is derived from the Sanskrit word, Saṁkrānti (Sanskrit: संक्रान्ति), which means the "transit [of the Sun from Pisces to Aries].". The period of Thingyan is also called Atā (အတာ) in Burmese. The holiday is known as Sangkran (Mon: သင်္ကြာန်) () in Mon and as Sangkyan in Shan (). ==Origins and history==

The Myanmar Thingyan is historically anchored by epigraphic evidence and the traditional lunisolar system. The Min-Nan-Thu Ar-Yone-Swal Inscription (c. 12th century AD) provides one of the earliest recorded references to “Sankanta” (Thingyan) in Southeast Asia, documenting the ritual offering of scented water to Buddha images. Unlike purely lunar festivals, Thingyan is a solar event calculated using the Surya Siddhanta. It marks the Sun's precise transit from Pisces into Aries, a system that has governed Myanmar's timekeeping since the 7th century (c. 638 AD). Royal records from the Pagan Kingdom (13th century) describe systematic water-pouring festivals under King Narathihapate, establishing the festival as a long-standing cultural and state tradition that predates many regional counterparts. Origin story The story about Thingyan is a Buddhist version of Hindu mythology. The King of Brahmas called Arsi (), lost a wager to the King of Devas, Śakra, also known as Thagyamin (), who decapitated Arsi as agreed. Still, the head of an elephant was put onto the Brahma's body which then became Ganesha. The Brahma's head was so powerful that throwing it into the sea would dry it up, onto land would scorch it, and into the air would ignite the sky. Sakra, therefore, ordained that the Brahma's head be carried by one goddess after another taking turns for a year each. The new year henceforth has come to signify the changing of hands of the Brahma's head. History Historians note that Thingyan was first celebrated during the Bagan period, coinciding with the establishment of the Bagan Kingdom in the 9th century. Historical evidence suggests these festivals were celebrated throughout the reign of King Anawrahta in the 11th century, continuing into the 12th and 13th centuries. In ancient times, a cannon (သင်္ကြန်အမြောက်,Thingyan a-hmyauk) was used as a signal to notify the people that Thagyamin already descended Earth, which means the Thingyan Festival had already started. Once the cannon was fired, communities, including the members of the Burmese royal family, came out with pots of water and sprigs of thabyay, then poured the water onto the ground with a prayer. A prophecy for the new year (, Thingyan sa) will have been announced by the brahmins (ponna) and this is based on what animal Thagyamin will be riding on his way down and what he might carry in his hand. ==Day 1: Eve of Thingyan==

The eve of Thingyan, the first day of the festival is called "a-kyo" (), and is the start of religious activities. Buddhists are expected to observe the Eight Precepts, more than the basic Five Precepts, including having only one meal before noon. Thingyan is a time when uposatha observance days, similar to the Christian sabbath, are held. Alms and offerings are laid before monks in their monasteries and offerings of a green coconut with its stalk intact encircled by bunches of green bananas (, nga pyaw pwè oun pwè) and Eugenia sprig before the Buddha images over which scented water is poured in a ceremonial washing from the head down. In ancient times, Burmese kings had a hair-washing ceremony with clear pristine water from Gaungsay Kyun (), a small rocky outcrop of an island in the Gulf of Martaban near Mawlamyine. ''), flowering during Thingyan Nightfall brings music, song and dance, and merrymaking in anticipation of the water festival. In neighbourhoods, pavilions with festive names constructed from bamboo, wood and beautifully decorated papier-mâché, are assembled overnight. Local girls rehearse for weeks and even years, in the run-up to the great event in song and dance in chorus lines. Each band of girls are uniformly dressed in colourful tops and skirts and wears garlands of flowers and tinsel. They wear fragrant thanaka - a paste of the ground bark of Murraya paniculata which acts as both sunblock and astringent - on their faces, and sweet-scented yellow padauk (Pterocarpus macrocarpus) blossoms in their hair. Padauk blooms only one day each year during Thingyan and is popularly known as the "Thingyan flower". Large crowds of revellers, on foot, on bicycles and motorbikes, and in trucks, will do the rounds of all the mandat, some making their own music and most of the women wearing thanaka and padauk. Floats, decorated and lit up, also with festive names and carrying an orchestra as well as dozens of young men on each of them, will roam the streets stopping at every mandat exchanging songs specially written for the festival including Thingyan classics. == Day 2: Descent ==

Cheroots'' girls dancing round a float in 1950s Thingyan, Mandalay The next day called "a-kya" (, ) is when Thingyan fully arrives as Thagyamin makes his descent from his celestial abode to Earth. Children are told that if they have been good, Thagyamin will take their names down in a golden book but if they have been naughty their names will go into a dog book. Serious water throwing does not begin until a-kya nei in most of the country although there are exceptions to the rule. Traditionally, Thingyan involved the sprinkling of scented water in a silver bowl using sprigs of thabyay (Jambul), a practice that continues to be prevalent in rural areas. The sprinkling of water was intended to metaphorically "wash away" one's sins of the previous year. In major cities such as Yangon, garden hoses, huge syringes made of bamboo, brass or plastic, water pistols and other devices from which water can be squirted are used in addition to the gentler bowls and cups. Water balloons and even fire hoses have been employed. It is the hottest time of the year in the country and a good dousing is welcomed by most. All able-bodied individuals are included in this game, except for monks. Some overenthusiastic young lads may get captured by women, who often are their main target, and become kids of a practical joke with soot from cooking pots smeared on their faces. Maidens from mandat's with dozens of garden hoses exchange hundreds of gallons of water with throngs of revellers and one floats after another. Many revellers carry towels to block water from getting into their ears and for modesty as they get thoroughly soaked in their light summer clothes. The odd prankster might use ice water and a drive-by splash with this would be taken humorously. Pwè (performances) by puppeteers, orchestras, yein dance troupes, comedians, film stars and singers including modern pop groups are commonplace during this festival. == Days 3 and 4: Eclipse and ascent ==

The third day is known as "a-kyat" (, ), a key part of the Thingyan festival when water-throwing is at its peak. In some years, there may be two a-kyat days instead of one, as an extra day is added based on traditional Myanmar lunisolar calendar calculations. This occurs to align the festival with the precise solar transition marking the New Year. The fourth day is known as "a-tet" (, ), symbolizing the moment Thagyamin, the celestial king, returns to the heavens. It marks the final day of the water festival, and it is generally more calm and respectful. Traditionally, people stop throwing water and focus on merit-making, such as offering food to monks, releasing fish, and doing good deeds. However, playfulness still lingers, and it's common to see people splashing water late into the day. Some jokingly say, "Thagyamin forgot his pipe and has come back for it!" (သိကြားမင်း ဆေးတိုင်မေ့ထားလို့ ပြန်လာတာပဲ), keeping the fun spirit alive even as the festival draws to a close. ==Day 5: New Year's Day==

, Shan State. The following is New Year's Day (, hnit hsan ta yet nei). At this time Burmese visit elders and pay obeisance by gadaw (also called shihko) with a traditional offering of water in a terracotta pot and shampoo. Young people perform hairwashing for the elderly often in the traditional manner with shampoo beans (Acacia rugata) and bark. New year's resolutions are made, generally in the mending of ways and doing meritorious deeds for their karma. Releasing fish (, nga hlut pwè) is another time-honoured tradition on this day; fish are rescued from lakes and rivers that are drying up, then the fish are kept in huge glazed earthen pots and jars before being released into larger lakes and rivers with a prayer and a wish saying "I release you once, you release me ten times". ==Holiday customs==

Almsgiving During Thingyan, locals throughout the country organise almsgiving events called satuditha, which take the form of communal feasts, offering free food, meals, and drinks to passersby and the needy. These range from traditional dishes like Burmese curry and rice, mohinga, and ono khauk swe to desserts like shwe yin aye and mont let saung. In the former capital, Yangon, the government permits crowds to gather on the Kandawgyi Roundabout and Kabaraye Roads. Temporary water-spraying stations, known as pandals, are set up and double as dance floors. Many of these pavilions are sponsored by rich and powerful families and businesses. Food traditions '' Over the long festive holiday, a time-honoured tradition is mont lone yay baw (), glutinous rice balls with jaggery (palm sugar) inside thrown into boiling water in a huge wok and served as soon as they resurface which gave it the name. These dance styles originate in the Burmese folk music tradition, performed with songs featuring the beat of a double-headed drum called the dobat. Songs from the classic 1985 film Thingyan Moe are commonly featured. The pots are filled with sprigs and flowers from 7 types of plants to represent each day of the week: ==Global recognition==

On 5 December 2024, Atā Thingyan Festival was inscribed on '''UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity''', acknowledging its cultural significance and the collective efforts to preserve this vibrant tradition . ==Regional traditions==

, Myanmar on 12 April 2012. pours water at revelers during Thingyan in Yangon, 13 April 2011. • Rakhine State - The Rakhine people have three unique customs that form Thingyan, namely the nantha grinding ceremony, the nantha pouring ceremony and the water festival. On the evening of New Year's Eve, Rakhine girls assemble to grind blocks of nantha sandalwood (used as a traditional cosmetic in Burma) on a kyaukpyin (a flat, circular stone used to grind sandalwood), as part of a competition. • Tanintharyi Region - The Bamar of Dawei and Myeik pay respects to elders and provide free meals to accompany Thaman Kyar dance performances. This is offered to neighbors as a gift of goodwill. == In popular culture ==

Several Burmese films have portrayed the Thingyan Festival, highlighting its cultural significance and festive spirit. Notable example include: Thingyan Moe (သင်္ကြန်မိုး, 1985) – A classic musical drama that follows the lives of young people during the festival. The film is well known for its songs and is considered a cultural touchstone of Thingyan. ==See also==