What are the Buddhist festivals in Myanmar

Commonly known as Sisig, it is an important traditional festival held annually by Buddhists in Myanmar.

The Gatina Festival is held on an auspicious day between the 16th day of the seventh month (Dzungdanjau) and the 15th day of the eighth month (Dzungdanmung) of the Burmese lunar calendar (corresponding to the month of November in the Gregorian calendar). During the festival, Buddhists gather together to offer money, clothes, food, and household items to the temple in honor of the Buddha.

On November 12, 2008, at the Peace Temple in the Old Market, Buddhists made beautifully crafted gift racks of various daily necessities and banknotes for the monks and carried them into the temple in a dance. They pay homage to the monks at the temple, who in turn give them sermons, drops of water and blessings. After the ceremony, they gather together for a meal and spend a wonderful festival together.

Festivals like these are holy and honorable for Buddhists and the festival will always be remembered in their hearts. That is why every Burmese Buddhist believer participates in such festivals.

The origin of the Kathina festival is said to be that some Buddhist monks were going on a pilgrimage to the mountain to worship Buddha Sakyamuni more than five hundred and forty years ago BC. It was raining heavily that day, and the monks all climbed up the mountain very hard in the rain, and it took them many days to find the Buddha. When they found the Buddha, they were tired and hungry, and their clothes were wet, dirty and smelly. So the Buddha gave them new clothes, blessed them after his sermon, and prepared food for them.

Thus, to commemorate this fact, the Buddhist followers chose an auspicious day after the harvest to offer money, clothes and food to the monks in the monastery, which has been passed down from generation to generation until today.