Buddhism is woven into almost every part of life in Myanmar. Understanding a little of it makes travelling here richer — and helps you move respectfully through temples and monasteries. Here are ten things worth knowing.
1. Almsgiving at dawn
Almsgiving — soon in the Myanmar language — is practised everywhere, every day of the year. Before sunrise, monks walk the streets receiving rice, curries and sweets. Donors remove their shoes, crouch with hands together, and receive a blessing in return.
2. The novitiation ceremony
This important rite usually falls in the school holidays, especially in March and April before the Thingyan water festival. Young boys are paraded around pagodas dressed as princes; after visiting a Nat shrine, their heads are shaved at the monastery as they enter monastic life.
3. Religious courtesy
Show reverence to images, monks and nuns. Never touch a monk or nun or their robes, never point your feet towards a Buddha image, dress modestly, and always remove your shoes at religious sites. Buddha tattoos can cause real offence.
4. Horoscopes and birthday corners
Myanmar's horoscope assigns eight signs based on the day of the week you were born, each with its own animal. Most pagodas have 'birthday corners' where people pay respects to their sign — neglecting it is thought to invite misfortune.
5. The Bodhi tree
The banyan, or Bodhi tree, is sacred because the Buddha reached enlightenment beneath one. During the full moon of Kason, devotees pour water on its roots while meditating and making offerings.
6. Festivals of light
The country's calendar is full of festivals. Thadingyut, the Festival of Light in October, celebrates the Buddha's return from the heavens with lanterns, oil lamps, fireworks and sky balloons.
7. Paying homage
A traditional gesture of respect involves kneeling before monks, elders, parents or Buddha images with joined hands and a bow — an expression of gratitude and a chance to seek forgiveness.
8. Mythical lions
Pairs of mythical lions — chinthe — guard temple entrances. Folklore tells of a princess who married a lion and bore a son; the son later, unknowingly, slew his father, and in atonement raised guardian statues outside the temples.
9. The gift of gold leaf
Wafer-thin gold leaf is sold at pagodas for devotees to press onto sacred images as an offering. Some believe applying it to a particular part of a Buddha image helps heal the same part of the body. Most of it is beaten by hand in Mandalay.
10. Offering robes
Offering robes to monks is considered a noble act of charity. The Waso offering (June–July) marks the start of Buddhist Lent; the Kahtein (October–November) donates robes and supplies to the wider community in joyful public processions.
