lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

THE WATER FESTIVAL343Occurring at the height of the dry and hot season, around the middle of April, the threedayThingyan (Water Festival) starts the Myanmar New Year. As in Thailand’s Songkran,the event is celebrated in a most raucous manner – by throwing buckets of cold water atanyone who dares to venture into the streets. Foreigners are not exempt!On a spiritual level, Myanmar people believe that during this three-day period theking of the nat (spirit beings), Thagyamin, visits the human world to tally his annualrecord of the good deeds and misdeeds humans have performed. Villagers place flowersand sacred leaves in front of their homes to welcome the nat. Thagyamin’s departureon the morning of the third day marks the beginning of the new year, when properlybrought-up young people wash the hair of their elder kin, buddha images are ceremoniallywashed, and hpongyi (monks) are offered particularly appetising alms food.Although the true meaning of the festival is still kept alive by ceremonies such asthese, nowadays it’s mainly a festival of fun. In cities, temporary stages called pandal(from the Tamil pendel) are erected along main thoroughfares, with water barrels readyto douse all passersby; for more on the Thingyan see p 11 .RELIGION & BELIEFChristianityThe CIA World Fact Book says 4% of Myanmar's population are Christians.Anglican, Baptist and Catholic missionaries have been active inMyanmar for over 150 years. Going even further back there were communitiesof Christians among the Japanese who fled to Arakan (RakhaingState) in the 16th century and the Portuguese Catholics (and later Dutchand French mercenaries and prisoners of war) who arrived in the early17th century.Ethnic groups that traditionally practised animism have proved morereceptive to conversion to Christianity, especially the Kayin, Kachin andChin.Other ReligionsAmong the other religions encountered in Myanmar are Hinduism, practicedamong locals of Indian descent, the various traditional religions ofChinese immigrants down the ages, and animism among the small tribalgroups of the highlands.The Jewish community in pre-WWII Rangoon numbered around 2500and the city once had a Jewish mayor (as did Pathein). Burma was alsothe first Asian country to recognise Israel in 1949. However the militarycoup and its aftermath encouraged most to leave, and today Yangon hasonly about 25 Jews. Even so the city’s 19th-century Moseah Yeshua Synagogue(p 42 ) is beautifully maintained.Officially Myanmaris 1% animist,1.5% Hindu,4% Christian and4% Muslim; othersbelieve thatnon-Buddhistsmay accountfor 30% of thepopulation.