Myanmar Light Festival (Tha Din Gyut)

Thadingyut' (October) is the end of the Buddhist Lent or the rains retreat. It is the festival of lights on the full-moon day, one day before and one day after. For Buddhists, the festival marks the day Buddha returned to earth after teaching the celestials in heaven. To welcome him, devotees lit up the streets and their homes. Thadingyut also marks the end of the monsoon season.  

 Houses and streets in cities and towns are brilliantly illuminated. Pagodas are also crowded with people doing meritorious deeds. It is not only a time of joy but also of thanksgiving and playing homage to teachers, parents and elders, and asking pardon for whatever misdeeds in speech or thought they might have committed during the year, and elders also readily forgive if these is anything to forgive. This beautiful custom of Myanmar people serves as a bridge across the generation gap which often is the cause of trouble in many other countries.

It is also a time for great rejoicing as couples rush to marry after the three-month period of Buddhist Lent.

During the three-day festival, oil lamps, lanterns and twinkle lights set Myanmar aglow. We believe that The light means for all to be enlightened - from worse to good and for all things - for our family, for our life also. At that time we pray for our business and for good health and good luck for our family. Pagodas are also crowded with people doing meritorious deeds.

During this festival all myanmar people are very happy to celebrate this festival. When I was a child I was very extited this time, we can enjoy a very happy holiday for school-aged children as the schools are closing for 10 days for Thadingyut Festival. We always go around the town in order to see the lights, as there are variety of different decorations in each every street. We was sending the hot air balloons up to the sky. When we went and respect to the elders at their home, they always give us back some pocket money. We bought some candles, hot air balloons and snacks. Although some traditions are getting extinct as the eras passed by, it is lucky that we still have Thadingyut as a beautiful heart warming event of the year.