Thingyan Day 4-5: The Original Water Festival

Hsu Myat, Student Ambassador in Myanmar, runs the Speak Up! Public Speaking Club.

April 16-17: Farewell and New Beginnings

            April 16, “အတက်နေ့” (atat), marks the day Thingyan “ascends” or leaves. It is the final day of the water festival, where some places begin to wind down, while others go all out for one last burst of celebration.

            For me, it was a mix of both. My family and I went out for lunch at a restaurant offering Thingyan specials — enjoying many of the traditional dishes — before heading back out to the mandats to make the most of the final day. My water gun even broke before we went out, so I ended up using a water bottle instead, which honestly worked just as well!      (Note: Always have a backup plan whenever you go water splashing! Half the fun of the Thingyan water festivals comes from splashing water at people yourself! :D)

            Then comes April 17, “နှစ်ဆန်းတစ်ရက်နေ့” (New Year’s Day). The energy shifts completely. The water stops, and the focus turns to tradition, merit, and religion. Families visit pagodas — most famously the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon — to pray and make offerings, wishing for luck and prosperity in the new year.

            That morning, my family and I went there ourselves, making offerings and praying before returning home later in the day.

            People pay respect to their elders by paying homage to parents and family members, release fish as an act of compassion, clean shrines, and participate in traditional hair-washing rituals using shampoo beans (Acacia rugata) and bark. Many young boys also take part in “shinbyu”, temporarily becoming monks to earn merit.

I spent the rest of the day doing shrine cleaning, going out to buy snacks (even though most shops were closed), paying homage to my parents, and taking part in the traditional hair-washing ritual — ending the festival on a calmer, more meaningful note.

            In the end, Thingyan is a unique blend of celebration, culture, and spirituality. It’s loud, chaotic, meaningful, and joyful all at once. From getting soaked in the streets to quiet moments at the pagoda, it brings people together in a way that feels both exciting and deeply rooted in tradition — welcoming the new year with clean hearts and good intentions.

This article was written with the assistance of GenAI tools.