Thingyan

Thingyan
Thingyan festival of Pagan Kingdom
Official name	Thingyan (သင်္ကြန်)
Also called	Burmese New Year
Observed by	Burmese People
Significance	Marks the Burmese New Year
Observances	Water Splashing games, merit-making activities, gadaw
Begins	April 14 (2017)
Ends	April 16 (2017)
Date	April 13/14–16
2016 date	April 13–16
2017 date	April 14–16
2018 date	April 14–16
Frequency	annual
Related to	Cambodian New Year, Lao New Year, Sri Lankan New Year, Thai New Year, Tamil New Year

Thingyan (Burmese: သင်္ကြန်; MLCTS: sangkran, [θɪ́ɴdʑàɴ]; Arakanese: [θɔ́ɴkràɴ]; from Sanskrit saṁkrānti, which means "transit [of the Sun from Pisces to Aries]") is the Burmese New Year Festival and usually falls around mid-April. It is a Buddhist festival celebrated over a period of four to five days, culminating in the New Year. The dates of the Thingyan Festival are calculated according to the Burmese calendar. The dates of the festival are observed as public holidays throughout Myanmar, and are part of the summer holidays at the end of the school year. Water-throwing or dousing one another from any shape or form of vessel or device that delivers water is the distinguishing feature of this festival and may be done on the first four days of the festival.

Thingyan is comparable to other festivities in the region such as the Songkran in Laos, the Songkran in Thailand, the Cambodian New Year, and the Sinhalese New Year.

Thingyan is originated from the Buddhist version of a Hindu myth. The King of Brahmas called Arsi, lost a wager to the King of Devas, Śakra (Thagya Min), who decapitated Arsi as agreed but the head of an elephant was put onto the Brahma's body who then became Ganesha. The Brahma was so powerful that if the head were thrown into the sea it would dry up immediately. If it were thrown onto land it would be scorched. If it were thrown up into the air the sky would burst into flames. Sakra therefore ordained that the Brahma's head be carried by one princess devi after another taking turns for a year each. The new year henceforth has come to signify the changing of hands of the Brahma's head.