Thadingyut festival is held on the full moon day of the seventh month of the traditional Burmese calendar, Thadingyut. It commemorates Buddha’s return from the heaven to earth after preaching in the abode of celestials during the three months of Lent and thus also marks the end of the Buddhist Lent which coincides with the rainy season.
The festival lasts for three days: the day before the full moon day, the full moon day which is the day of Buddha's descend from heaven and the day after the full moon day.
To celebrate the event, streets, houses and public buildings in Myanmar are decorated with lights and candles hence the second name of the festival – the Festival of Light. Free stage shows are performed on the streets of cities, towns and villages across the country, and there are colourful markets with an abundance of food stalls selling traditional Burmese delicacies.
Buddhists celebrate the festival visiting pagodas and monasteries, attending sermons and paying respect to monks with alms. The full moon day is also the time to ask for forgiveness and to get one for any wrong-doings from the elders and families.
Myanmar Prepares for Thadingyut Festival
News in Asia
The Thadingyut Festival, the annual Lighting Festival of Myanmar, falls on Sunday, October, 13 this year. One of the most important events of the Buddhist calendar, the festival will be celebrated country-wide.