Preserve the fine traditions of Myanmar in the month Tabodwe

HISTORICAL evidence shows that Htamane (traditional glutinous rice dish) festivals were continuously held in Tabodwe, the 11th month of the Myanmar calendar, as far back as the reigns of ancient Myanmar kings. As Tabodwe is the coldest season of the year, people’s bodies tend to lose warmth and energy. Therefore, consuming nutrient-rich htamane, prepared with oil and protein-rich ingredients, was regarded by ancient Myanmar elders as a seasonal food from a traditional medical perspective, as it helped nourish the body and maintain healthy skin.

The preparation of Htamane is a festival that symbolizes unity and solidarity. Along with recalling historical traditions and auspicious beliefs, people consume it as one of the four seasonal foods and offer it in donations. As a festival be­lieved to bring benefits in both the present and the hereafter, the Htamane festival contin­ues to be celebrated joyfully to this day.

From a religious perspec­tive, one of the most signif­icant days of Tabodwe is its Full Moon Day, also known as Ovada Patimokkha Day. On this day, the Buddha de­livered the Ovada Patimok­kha discourse to the monks, teaching principles which, when practised by laypeople as well, can lead to a peaceful and harmonious life.

One of the seasonal re­ligious festivals held during Tabodwe is the Fire Offering Festival. As Tabodwe is an ex­tremely cold period, the festival involves offering firewood and braziers to the Lord Buddha and the Sangha, and is there­fore called the Fire Offering Festival. According to tradi­tional belief, during ancient times, the Buddha Himself endured the cold by keeping warm with a fire brazier.

For this reason, most Buddhists commemorate Tabodwe by offering fire offerings made with fragrant wood at pagodas, stupas, and religious shrines in reverence to the Buddha. The Fire Offering Festival is also known by other names, such as the Bonfire Festival, Fire Merit-Making Festival, or Fire Donation Festival. In the present era, as Fire Offering Festivals are held less frequently, it is considered important to preserve and pass down this festival as a traditional cultural heritage.

Hence, the Htamane Festival held during Tabodwe is one of the traditional seasonal festivals of the Myanmar New Year cycle and is a customary celebration well suited to the cold climate of the season. As a Myanmar traditional cultural festival rich in auspicious values, the Htamane Festival and the Fire Offering Festival must be preserved and promoted by the Myanmar people so that they may endure for generations to come.