JANUARY

Kachin Manaw Festival
Traditionally, the Jinghpaw are animists who recognize a spirit world presided over by Karai Kasang, a supreme deity who requires animal sacrifice. Duwa (hereditary chieftains) maintains ceremonial and cultural leadership, especially with regard to the manao (also spelt manau or Manaw, important festival held periodically to placate or pay homage to the Jinghpaw nats. On 10th January-Kachin state Day-a major manao in Myitkyina draws Kachin groups from all over the state and beyond.

Ananda Pagoda Festival
Usually celebrate in the month of December/January. Last for about one month. There will be fair atmosphere about these festival-shops, food stalls and vendors are all around Ananda Temple. Most festinating and unique, apart from early or dawn offering, is Pilgrims from Bagan and vicinity, in their long line bullock-cart.

Naga New Year Festival
The authentic Naga Hill Tribes (about 68 different groups) wear their respective traditional costumes to participate this important festival. They worship to their deities by scarifying the animals. Their traditional dance, martial music and cults of animism are unique and interesting. The festival is held at Khamti, Lahe, Lashi in Sagaing. The festival days are 12th to 16th of January.

FEBRUARY

Union Day
On 12 February celebrates for two weeks preceding Union Day, the national flag is paraded from town to town and wherever the flag rests there must be a festival.

Rice Harvesting Festival
The full moon (in the lunar month of Tabo-dweh) is the time of the rice harvesting festival Htamane, or Htamin (literally rice), a special food-offering made and eaten at this time, consists of glutinous rice mired with sesame, peanuts, Shredded ginger and coconut In villages large batches of htamin are cooked over open fires and stirred with big wooden paddles until they become a thick mall, after which the rice is wrapped in small banana-leaf parcels and distributed among all the members of the community.

MARCH

Shwedagon Festival
The lunar month of Tabaung brings the annual Shwedagon Festival, the largest Paya pwe (pagoda festival) in Myanmar. The full moon day in Tabaung is also an auspicious occasion for the Construction of new payas, and the local paya festivals are held. Peasants' Day (March 2) and Armed Forces' (Defence services') Day (March 27). The full moon day of Tabaung is when there are special alms offerings to monks and fairs are held at the temples.

Pindaya Shwe Oo Min Pagoda Festival (Pindaya, Shan State)
Shwe Oo Min Pagoda cave, located in Pindaya, about 45 km, North of Kalaw, noted for its over 8,000 and centuries old Buddha images. It celebrates its festival on and around the full moon day of Tabaung. During the festival time thousands of devotees throng to the cave to pay homage. Pagoda's mall is set up at the foot of the hill selling local products, food and seasonal fruits.

APRIL

Myanmar New Year Festival
Thingyan Water Festival. Myanmar Buddhist New Year Thingyan, celebrated over three or four days around the middle of the month is a joyous and exceedingly wet occasion. Buddha images are ceremonially bathed and monks are lavishly entertained. The word Thingyan is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning the entry of the Sun To any of the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac’. Gifts are offered to parents and teachers.

Shin Pyu Ceremony (Nation Wide)
One of Myanmar's most interesting and picturesque ceremonies usually comes on Myanmar months of Tabaung and Tagu. Here young boys of Buddhist parent's are ceremoniously parade under golden umbrella on their father's shoulders, to react the great renunciation of Prince Siddhatha some 2500 years ago. It is one of the most important ceremonies for the parents and they are very proud to be lay-peoples of the sons of the Buddha who just entered parents monkshood and become as the sons of the Buddha. It is the holiest ceremony for the parents. All the friends and relations from all over the country, participate this unique ceremony.

MAY

Kason Sacred Bo Tree Watering Ceremony (Nation Wide)
Honors the day, on which, in different years, the Buddha was born, achieved Enlightenment and died. Processions are held in temples, Buddhists pour water on the sacred banyan tree and rituals re enacted at the Shwedagon and other pagodas. The annual Festival of Spirits takes place some time during May-June.

JUNE - JULY

Full moon day of Nayon,
Student monks are examined on their knowledge of the Tripitaka religious texts.

Dhama Sakya Day (Shwedagon and other famous pagodas)
This day commemorates the Lord Buddha's first sermon to his five disciples. The holy day's religious activities can be found at the precincts of the famous pagodas and monasteries featuring; delivering sermons by Buddhist monks, reciting Pali verses praising Lord Buddha, offering meals to the monks.

Buddhist Lent
The full moon of Waso is the beginning on the three month Buddhist 'Lent'. Laypeople present monasteries with stacks of new robes for resident monks, since during the lent period monks are restricted to their monasteries for a prolonged period of spiritual retreat. Ordinary people are also expected to be rather more religious during this time-marriages do not take place and it is inauspicious to move house. The most devout Myanmar Buddhist will observe eight precepts-rather than the usual five-for the duration of the season. This is a good time for young men to temporarily enter the monasteries.

Waso Robe Offering (Nation Wide)
The month of Waso in Myanmar calendar is associated with the offering of Waso Robe to the Buddhist monks viewed precursor to the Buddhist lent, not later than the full-moon day of Waso. After this day, the Buddhist monks are forbidden to travel and are required to spend lent in their monasteries. The robes are offered to use during the period of retreat.

Chinlon Festival
Chinlon is closely related to the sport of Sepaktakraw, a game played all over Southeast Asia with a Similar rules to Volley ball except for a few important differences. In ' Chinlon ' - players use a woven rattan ball about 15 centimeters. 'Chinlon ' game has been played for 1500 years, is a combination of sepaktakraw moves, dance and martial arts with an emphasis on style, entertainment and form rather than Competition. The games is played on a packed earth circle about 7 meters ( 22 feet) in diameter. And performers generally favor bare feet. Team of Six people, typically, aim to woo the crowd by keeping the ball aloft and performing tricks - using their feet, shins, knees, thighs, shoulders and head. The only part of their body they can't use is their hands, although in some moves the hands provide vital support to the rest of the body.

AUGUST

At the festival in Wagaung, lots are drawn to see who will have to provide monks with their alms.

Taungbyone Nat Pwe (Spirit Festival)
If you're in Mandalay, try to get to Taungbyone about 30km north, where there is a noisy, seven day festival to keep the nats (spirit) happy. It is held from 10th waxing of Wagaung to the 15th of the full moon.

Yadanagu Nat Pwe (Spirit Festival)
In Amarapura is held from the 8th waning of Wagaung to the 14th of the hidden moon.

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER

Phaung-Daw-U Pagoda Festival
September and October (when the rain is ding off, but the river level is high) are the months when boats races are held on rivers and lakes throughout Myanmar. The most spectacular festival takes place in October at the phaung-Daw-U Pagoda on inle Lake near Taunggyi. At this splendid event, four of the five Buddha images, originally of Sandal wood, but now covered so thickly by gold leaf applied by pilgrims that they appear to be rather shapeless objects of pure gold are placed on the Royal Barge (the fifth is left to take care of the monastery). The barge takes the shape of a bird, the Karaweik ('a mythical bird with a sweet voice'), and a procession takes place around the lake, stopping at each large monastery and village to spend the night before moving on the following morning to the next village (these visits represent those made by King Alaungsithu several centuries ago).
At Nyaung Shwe they spend three nights and then they return to the Pagoda via the right- hand side of the river. On the last day of the festival, which last nearly three weeks, there is a boat race. This consists of long boats, three at a time, each containing around 100 people who row with their legs (on both sides).

Festival of Lights – Full Moon Day of Thadingyut
The Buddhist Lent (Thadin) ends on the full moon day of Thadingyut, when the Buddha's return from Heaven is celebrated with the 'Festival of Lights', involving all manner of lights, lamps, Candles, and fire works. The poorest Myanmar have some candles burning, even if they cannot afford paper lanterns or electric lamps. Dancing and various forms of entertainment take place and as with most festivals, people gather pagodas all over the land.

NOVEMBER

Tazaung Dine Festival (The second lighting festival-Nation Wide)
The celebration is held to commemorate the offering of lights to the "Sulamani Pagoda" which is at the abode of celestial beings. At night, there are variety pattern of lights on houses and pagodas platform. Hot air balloon of paper lanterns are released to pay homage to this pagoda. Food stalls are lined up or the roadsides and shows can be seen at different parts of the towns and cities.
All- night weaving-contest
At the Shwedagon there is an all- night weaving-contest, an occasion for a festival of lights, as well as a weaving festival in which young girls engage, in weaving competitions, making new roles for the monks by the light of the full moon. The results of which are donated to the monks and to the Buddha images.

Hot air balloons & Rocket-firing festival (Taunggyi, Shan State)
The festival of Tazaungmone in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State is the most crowded and colourful in upper Myanmar. Evening, time event features, Candle-lit processions accompanied by traditional Shan and Pa-Oo dances and musics, hot air balloons and rockets are launched.

Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda Festival (Golden Rock)
The impressive Golden Rock Pagoda in Kyaikhtiyo, Mon State, celebrates its festival on the full moon day of Tazaungmone. Nine thousands of oil-lit offering is held on the pagoda platform.

DECEMBER

Karen New Year (Innsein-Yangon and Pa-an)
It is a national holiday and is celebrated by the Karen national race, featuring, group dance in their ethnic costume, sport activities like the traditional boxing matches are held in Innsein, a suburb in northwest Yangon where the Karen communities are concentrated. Pa-an, the capital of Karen state, held the grandest celebration.
Nadaw full moon day. The Nadaw full moon is a time for honoring the spirit world and Nat festivals (nat-pwe) are held in many parts of the country.