Believed to stem from the Kattika festival, the Hundu celebration honouring the guardian planets, Tazaungdaing Festival have been marked even before Buddhism was introduced in Burma and pays respect to Depavali, the God of Fire.
Arguably the best place to be during Tazaungdaing Festival is Yangon where people light candles and flow hot air lanterns. The greatest celebration is held at Schwedagon Pagoda. Another worth checking festival destination is Taunggyi where hor air baloon competition attracts huge crowds. In Dawei, the Tazaungdaing Festival is marked by a famous 28 Buddhas procession.
There is a special dish associated with the festival, a kind of salad called mezali phu thoke. Siamese cassia buds are added to this salad to give it its characteristic flavour. In certain places the night of the festival is the time for tricks played on neighbours. This tradition is mainly practiced by younger villagers.
Burmese Festival of Lights Falls on November 23 This year
News in Asia
The Festival of Lights, also known as the Tazaungdaing Festival, falls on November, 23rd, this year and will be widely celebrated throughout the country. It is also a national holiday in Myanmar so plan your schedule accordingly.