Before You Come
Although court
culture has been extinguished, popular street-level
culture is vibrant and thriving. Drama is the
mainstay of this culture, and just about any
celebration is a good excuse for a pwe (show).
Performances may recount Buddhist legends, or be
more light-hearted entertainments involving
slapstick comedy, dance, ensemble singing or giant
puppets. Myanmar music is an integral part of a pwe;
it originates from Thai and emphasises rhythm and
melody. Instruments are predominantly percussive and
include drums, boat-shaped harps, gongs and bamboo
flutes. Over 85% of the Myanmar population is
Theravada Buddhist. In the Rakhine region, towards
Bangladesh, there are many Muslims. Christian
missionaries have had some success among hill tribes
but many remain staunch animists. The toys of
Myanmar are not only for the children but also
famous in the world, known as the Marionettes (or)
Puppets of Myanmar. Its a combination of Myanmar Art
and Culture, together to show the inner expressions
of the Myanmar people. Myanmar also have festivals
all around the year, at least one in each month of
the year. The most famous festival of Myanmar is the
Thingyan Water Festival, which is held from 13 April
to 16 April every year.
Myanmar has a long history dating back several
thousand years. The traditions and culture of
Myanmar as well as the philosophy of life of it's
people, the majority of who are Buddhists, has been
shaped profoundly by Buddhism. Hence, Myanmar,
regardless of their race or ethnic origin, are
peace-loving, friendly, generous and hospitable.
They also have an innate sense of duty to family,
community and country.
In Myanmar, there is a tradition, particularly in
the rural areas, of people collectively helping with
each other's work and participating in communal
activities. People in the village, for example, will
collectively help each other in such activities as
cultivating and harvesting paddy and other crops,
repairing bunds of paddy fields, digging wells,
repairing roofs of houses etc.. This age old
tradition is called "Let-Sar-Like". It can be
translated roughly as " Lending a Hand ".
The Manners of Myanmar People can be also seen in
Dos and Donts section.
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