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Most of the popular Burmese celebrations are based upon their respective months as they are called by in Burma. The lent period for a Buddhist starts in the month of Waso (July) and last till the month of Thadingyut (October). Thadingyut is one of the celebrations in Burma with a traditional significance. Primarily a Buddhist nation, most of the Burmese festivals do have a Buddhist slant associated to them. The lent period lasts for three months and the whole monsoon is covered during this period. The monks confine themselves to the four walls of the monastery and take up hardships. The lent comes to an end in the Thadingyut which is the English month of October. At this time the monks come out of their confinement of the monastery. As a whole the ambiance at this time becomes festive as with the end of the
monsoon, greeneries spread all over Burma.
During the festive ambiance of the Thadingyut month the Twin-Miracle festival of Lord Buddha is celebrated. The festival generally takes place in the night of a full moon day of the same month. The majestic lights of the full moon when fall on the lakes makes the ambiance hallucinating and in this very atmosphere the festival of Twin-Miracle is celebrated. It is beleved that the Twin-Miracle festival is going on since the times of Buddha.
The day after the Twin-Miracle festival is marked with utmost devotion as it is believed that on this particular day Lord Buddha took abode to the heaven and finally returned back to the ordinary world of human beings. It is said that when he returned from the heaven, a grand ceremony was held on earth to receive the Lord. This very occasion happened to have taken place on a full moon day in the month of Thidingyut. Every year to recapitulate the pious occasion of the life of Buddha, the Burmese celebrates the Tavatimsa, also known as the Myint Mo festival. The Myint Mo is a mountain that had an association with the heavenly abode of Lord Buddha and his journey back to the earth. As part of this Burmese festival, models of the mountain are built and are decorated with candles. With full devotions and religious chants the festival is observed and at the end a feast is held.
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