Thingyan

When: Mid-April each year; the main public celebrations fall around the Burmese New Year dates.

Where: Nationwide across Myanmar, with the largest street parties in Yangon and Mandalay.

Cost: Free to join most street festivities, though budget for food, temple donations and higher accommodation prices.

Don’t miss: Public water-throwing stations, morning merit-making at pagodas, and evening cultural performances.

Myanmar’s Thingyan marks the traditional Burmese New Year and blends Buddhist merit-making with a seasonal ritual of water as purification and blessing. The festival has deep roots in local religious practice and the Burmese calendar; in modern times it has evolved into several days of civic celebration and family visits.

In practice Thingyan turns city streets into lively corridors of sound and spray: loud bands or DJs at temporary pavilions, vendors selling snacks, people dousing one another with cups, hoses or water guns, and morning ceremonies at pagodas where locals offer food to monks and perform ceremonial water pouring. Celebrations run in town centres, around major pagodas and on main thoroughfares across cities and villages.

Thingyan takes place in mid-April each year, timed to the Burmese New Year as determined by the traditional calendar. The public festival typically spans several days: build-up days of performances and parades lead to the core water-throwing days and quieter mornings reserved for alms and merit-making.

Expect the busiest street action on the main two or three days around the official New Year; many locals travel to family homes, so transport and services are busiest just before and after those dates.

Main international gateways for Thingyan are Yangon International Airport in Yangon and Mandalay International Airport in Mandalay; travellers commonly fly into Yangon and travel overland to other celebrations. Plan to arrive at least a day before the core festivities, and book flights, trains and hotels well in advance because domestic travel fills up quickly.

• In Myanmar, show respect at religious sites: wear modest clothing (cover shoulders and knees) and remove shoes before entering pagodas.

• Do not splash monks, nuns or elderly people; many monastics abstain from participating and should be left undisturbed.

• Protect cameras and phones with waterproof bags or ziplock pouches - you will get wet and so will your gear.

• Expect hot, humid weather and large crowds in mid-April: bring sunscreen, a hat, bottled water and a secure bag for valuables.

• Carry cash for street food and donations; many vendors do not accept cards, and ATMs may run low during the holiday.

• Book accommodation and any long-distance transport (flights/trains) weeks in advance, and be prepared for some businesses to close on the main New Year day.