Thingyan is the Myanmar New Year and celebrated in April all over the country. It is also the time for April showers to make the Padauk bloom and perfume the air with their delicate scent.

On the first day of Thingyan (Eve of Thingyan period), Myanmar people of Buddhist Faith traditionally perform a significant act arrangement of AhtarOe ‘Pot of flowers’ (or) ‘sprouts and tendron’. Clay (or) earthen pot is used for the purpose. Flowers and new leaves arranged in the pot represent the seven days of the week. This traditional act is done with the aim of enabling the people born on the seven days of the week: that is the entire mankind to be healthy and safe in the New Year. For example, new coconut leaves are chosen for Sunday-born people and garden croton for Wednesday-born persons. The beautifully arranged flowerpot is kept in front of the house or during the Thingyan period.

Thingyan Festival starts the next day. Thingyan is the most significant, jovial and exhilarating festival among all festivals of Myanmar people. People in every part of the country participate and enjoy exultantly during the Thingyan Water Festival. The main features of the festival are dousing of water, Thingyan pandals, decorated floats, singing and dancing and merry-making.

Evenings are the best time to watch the entertainment, which start in the evenings and continue past mid-night. Decorated floats tour the pandals and compete for the best decorated, the best performance or any other prizes offered by the pandals.

During the festival, another attractive and pleasing custom is the feast given in charity for all comers. The most common and preferred food is MontLoneYePaw ‘small glutinous rice dumplings’ stuffed with jaggery. It is usually taken with scraped coconut. The dumplings are cooked or boiled collectively and given to all visitors and passers-by.

On the New Year Day ‘the first day of Myanmar Calendar’, meritorious deeds are also performed. Acts of merit, such as keeping of Sabbath, meditation, offering of flowers, water and light to Pagodas, paying respects to elders and aged persons, washing and cleaning hair for aged persons with shampoo, giving snacks in charity to all comers and passers- by and releasing free of animals as an act of saving or sparing of life are carried out.

Members of the Sangha are invited of recite partitas to be safe from harm or danger in wards, on streets, at schools and offices. The flowerpots are kept in front of the Sanghas to be free from danger or harm. Sweet and lovely customs of Myanmar people can be seen during the Thingyan Festival- a traditional culture that has been preserved in the country.