Burmese girl painted with thanaka

The culture of Myanmar has been heavily influenced by Buddhism. Its geographical neighbours, including India, Thailand, and China have contributed tremendously to the Burmese culture. More recently, British imperialism has influenced aspects of Burmese culture, particularly in language and education.

Arts

Historically, Burmese art was based on Buddhist and Hindu myths. There are several regional styles of Buddha images, each with certain distinctive characteristics. Temple architecture is usually made of brick, and pagodas are layered with gold leaf. Gold leaf is a sheet of real, nearly pure gold, worked into extremely thin sheets only a few micrometres thick. ...

Burmese literature has influenced by Buddhism, including the Jakata Tales. Since orthodox Buddhism prohibited fiction, many historical works are nonfiction. However, British colonisation introduced many genres of fiction, which have become extremely popular today. Poetry is a prominent feature of Burmese literature, and there are several forms unique to Burmese literature. The literature of Myanmar spans over a thousand years. ...

Pwe (performances) often feature an ancient form of dance called yo-da-ya a-ka is an imitation of formal Thai dancing, in which a woman uses only the hands and feet to express emotions. The name yodaya most likely derives from the name of the Thai kingdom, Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya (also spelled Ayudhya or Ayuthia) refers to The old capital of Thailand, see Ayutthaya (city) The province around the city, Ayutthaya province The ruins of the old palace, see Ayutthaya historical park Ayutthaya kingdom as the period of Thai history (1365-1768) in which Ayutthaya was capital This is...

Various types of Burmese music use an array of traditional musical instruments, assembled in an orchestra. An instrument unique to Myanmar is the saung-gauk, an arched harp that can be traced to pre-Hittite times. Singing is usually of various legends in Pali. Pop music, however, dominates the music of Myanmar today. The music of Myanmar is a mixture of many regional varieties, including Chinese music, Indian music and Thai music. ... The saung (also known as the saung-guak, or Myanmar harp, the countrys previous name was Burma) is a Burmese traditional musical instrument made of sixteen silk strings attached to a neck by red cotton tuning cords terminating in large tassels. ... For the town and district in Rajasthan, see Pali, Rajasthan For the Ganapati temple of pali and place in Maharastra, see Ballaleshwar Pali Pāli (Devanagari पालि) is a Middle Indo-Aryan dialect or prakrit. ...

Religion

Nga-tat-gyi Buddha, located in the suburbs of Yangon

Myanmar is a predominantly Theravada Buddhist country. Buddhism reached Myanmar around the beginning of the Christian era, mingling with Hinduism (also imported from India) and indigenous animism. The Pyu and Mon kingdoms of the first millennium were Buddhist, but the early Bamar peoples were animists. According to traditional history, King Anawrahta of Bagan adopted Buddhism in 1056, importing scriptures and monks from the Mon kingdom of Thaton in the south of the country. The religious tradition created at this time, and which continues to the present day, is a syncretalist mix of what might be termed 'pure' Buddhism (of the Sri Lankan or Theravada school) with deep-rooted elements of the original animism or nat-worship and even strands of Hinduism and the Mahayana tradition of northern India. ... Hinduism (Sanskrit/Hindi —, hindi , and ) is a religion originating in the Indian subcontinent, based on the Vedas, and among the oldest religious traditions still practiced today. ... In religion, the term Animism is used in a number of ways. ... Pyu (also written Pyuu, or Pyus) refers to an ancient kingdom (and its language) found in the central and northern regions of what is now Burma. ... Mon may refer to: Monday, the day of the week between Sunday and Tuesday mon (monster) in anime, a sort of monster character Môn or Anglesey, an island in Wales Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar Mon people, a Southeast Asian ethnicity Mon language Mon, India, a town in... The Bamar (Burmese: ဗမာ; IPA: ), sometimes called Burman, are the dominant ethnic group of Myanmar, constituting approximately 68% (30,000,000) of the population. ... Anawrahta (reigned 1044-1077), also spelled Aniruddha or Anoarahtâ or Anoa-ra-htá-soa, was a ruler of the kingdom of Bagan and the first ruler of a unified Burma. ... Temples in Pagan. ... Mon may refer to: Monday, the day of the week between Sunday and Tuesday mon (monster) in anime, a sort of monster character Môn or Anglesey, an island in Wales Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar Mon people, a Southeast Asian ethnicity Mon language Mon, India, a town in... Thaton is a town in Mon State, in southern Myanmar on the Tenasserim plains. ... In religion, the term Animism is used in a number of ways. ... A nat is one of thirty-seven spirits that are worshipped by Bamar in conjunction to Buddhism. ... Relief image of the bodhisattva Kuan Yin from Mt. ...

Islam reached Myanmar at approximately the same time, but never gained a foothold outside the geographically isolated seaboard running from modern Bangladesh southwards to the delta of the Ayeyarwady (modern Rakhine, known previously to the British as Arakan, and an independent kingdom until the 18th Century). The colonial period saw a tremendous influx of Muslim (and Hindu) Indians into Yangon and other cities, and the majority of Yangon's many mosques and temples owe their origins to these immigrants. Islam (Arabic: ; ( (help· info)), submission (to the will of God) is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. ... The Union of Myanmar, also known as Burma, is a country in Southeast Asia. ... Arakan is a state in the North Western part of Myanmar, formerly Burma. ...

Christianity was brought to Myanmar by European missionaries in the 19th Century. It made little if any headway among Buddhists, but has been widely adopted by non-Buddhists such as the Karen and Kachin. Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life, teachings, and actions of Jesus of Nazareth, known by Christians as Jesus Christ, as recounted in the New Testament. ... Karen can refer to the Karen people of south-east Asia. ... Kachin is a state of Burma. ...

The Chinese contribution to Myanmar's religious mix has been slight, but several traditional Chinese temples were established in Yangon and other large cities in the 19th century when large-scale Chinese migration was encouraged by the British. Since approximately 1990 this migration has resumed in huge numbers, but the modern Chinese immigrants seem to have little interest in religion.

Some more isolated indigenous peoples in the more inaccessible parts of the country still follow traditional animism. In religion, the term Animism is used in a number of ways. ...

The Roman Catholic Church, Myanmar Baptist Convention and the Assemblies of God of Myanmar are the largest Christian denominations in Myanmar. For other uses of the term, see Catholic Church (disambiguation). ... The Myanmar Baptist Convention is an association of Baptist churches in the nation of Myanmar (known until 1989 as Burma). ...

There are no totally reliable demographic statistics form Myanmar, but the following is one estimate of the religious composition of the country:

• Buddhists: 87%
• Animists: 5%
• Christians: 4.5%
• Muslims: 4%
• Hindus: 1.5%

Myanmar allows complete freedom of religious expression, and there appear to be no inter-religious tensions as such (although there are ethnic tensions, particularly between the dominant Bamar and the descendants of Indian migrants, which can find religious expression). Nevertheless, the current regime's nationalistic policy of Bama san-kyin, which considers Buddhism a key element of Burmese-ness, does provide a systemic bias in favour of Buddhists in terms of preferment in the armed forces and other State structures.

Pagodas and Monasteries

Aspects of Burmese culture is most apparent in religious sites. The four most important Burmese Buddhist pilgrimage sites are Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Mahamuni Buddha in Mandalay, Kyaiktiyo Pagoda in Mon State and Bagan. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Shwedagon Paya The Shwedagon Paya is a 98 meter gilded stupa located in Yangon, Myanmar. ... A side view of Kyaiktiyo Pagoda Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (Burmese: ) is a famous Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State, Myanmar. ... Temples in Pagan. ...

Pagodas are known by their Pali term zeidi, but are also commonly called pei-ya, which literally translates "Buddha". Monastaries are known as pon-gyi kyaung, which literally means "school of monks".

Traditional Burmese Festivals

Thingyan celebrations in Yangon

There are twelve months in traditional calendar of Myanmar and twelve corresponding festivals. Every month, a festival is celebrated. Most of the festivals are related to Burmese Buddhism. ရန္‌ကုန္‌ Yangon Origin of name: ရန္‌ - enemy, ကုန္‌ to end (end of strife) Admin. ... Buddhism in Myanmar is predominantly of the Theravada sect. ...

The most well-known festival is Thingyan, a four-day celebration of the coming lunar new year. This festival is held prior to the Burmese New Year (1st day of Tagu, or 17 April). Similar to other Southeast Asian new year festivals (eg. Songkran), people splash water on one another. However, Thingyan has religious significance, marking the days in which Buddhists are expected to observe the Eight Precepts of Buddhism. Thingyan celebrations in Yangon Thingyan (Burmese: ) is a water festival in Myanmar which celebrates the coming lunar new year. ... The Thai New Year (สงกรานต์ = Songkran in Thai language) is celebrated every year on April 13 to April 15. ...

Cuisine

Main article: Cuisine of Myanmar

Burmese cuisine is a fusion of Indian and Chinese cuisine. It is relatively known throughout the world, and can be characterized as having a mildly spicy taste, with the usage of spices. The most famous Burmese dish is mohinga, rice noodles in a curried fish soup. The Burmese traditionally eat with their hands, although the usage of Western utensils has become more dominant. The cuisine of Myanmar (formerly Burma) is heavily influenced by the respective cuisines of China, India, and Thailand. ... Mohinga (Burmese: ) is considered by many to be the national dish of Myanmar, formerly Burma. ...

Sports

The most popular sport in Burma is football. Chinlon, an indigenous sport utilises a rattan ball, and is played using only the hands, head, and feet. A form of Burmese martial arts called thaing (similar to Chinese kung fu) is also practiced. Chinlon is a game similar to soccer. ... Alternative meaning: Kung Fu (TV series) Kung fu or gongfu (功夫, Pinyin: gōngfu) is a well-known Chinese term used in the West to designate Chinese martial arts. ...

National holidays

2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For information on the movie, New Years Day, see New Years Day (film). ... An Independence Day is an annual celebration commemorating the anniversary of a nations assumption of independent statehood, usually after ceasing to be a colony or part of another state. ... We dont have an article called Union Day Start this article Search for Union Day in. ... Several nations of the world hold an annual Armed Forces Day to recognize, venerate, and honor their military forces. ... Thingyan celebrations in Yangon Thingyan (Burmese: ) is a water festival in Myanmar which celebrates the coming lunar new year. ... Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from the revision dated 2005-08-20, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ... ... The National Day is a designated date on which celebrations mark the nationhood of a country. ... Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ), also known as Noël, is a traditional holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus with both religious and secular aspects, commonly observed on 25 December. ...

Customs

An ear-piercing ceremony at Mahamuni Buddha in Mandalay

The traditional Burmese greeting is min-ga-la-ba, although it is considered formal and only used in certain instances. "Hello" has gradually replaced the traditional greeting. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (480x640, 263 KB) Summary Ear piercing ceremony Mahamuni Buddha Mandalay, Mandalay Division, Myanmar Licensing Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (480x640, 263 KB) Summary Ear piercing ceremony Mahamuni Buddha Mandalay, Mandalay Division, Myanmar Licensing Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Mandalay (Burmese: ) is the second largest city in Myanmar (formerly Burma) with a population of 927,000 (2005 census), agglomeration 2,5 million. ...

The traditional garment of the Burmese is called longyi, a sarong worn by both women and men. Traditionally, Bamar men wear mandarin collared jackets, while Bamar women wore a blouse and a shawl. However, these are only worn on more formal occasions in modern times. In urban areas, skirts and pants are becoming more common. Longyi is a sheet of cloth. ... The Bamar (Burmese: ဗမာ; IPA: ), sometimes called Burman, are the dominant ethnic group of Myanmar, constituting approximately 68% (30,000,000) of the population. ... A mandarin collar is a short unfolded stand-up collar style on a shirt or jacket. ...

Physical demonstrations of affection in public are common between friends of the same gender, but less rarely seen between lovers. It is thus common to see friends walking together holding hands, but couples rarely do so except in westernised areas.

In language, the Burmese are very age-oriented. Elders and monks are spoken to in a different and more respectable manner.

It is considered rude to touch a person's head, because it is the "highest" point of the body. It is also considered taboo to touch another's feet, or to point with the feet, because the feet are considered the lowest. Also, pointing a finger to Buddha images is considered blasphemous, although this custom has slowly eroded. Shoes are always taken off before entering homes and temples. A custom of the Burmese is to walk clockwise around a pagoda, rather than counter-clockwise. A human head In anatomy, the head of an animal is the anterior part (from anatomical position) that comprises the brain, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth (all of which aid in various sensory functions, such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste). ... This article is about a foot as a unit of length. ...

References

• ASEAN Member Countries' Natl. Holiday ASEAN. Retrieved 14 February 2006.