Regional/Cultural Day
Thingyan Akyo Nei
The first day of Thingyan, the Burmese New Year water festival and the most important celebration in Myanmar. The day is called Akyo Nei, meaning the day of preparation, and the tradition is to observe Buddhist rituals, offer food to monks, and prepare for the water fighting that begins the next day. Thanaka paste is applied in elaborate patterns on the face, and the traditional longyi is worn for the festivities. Thingyan is celebrated over four or five days, and the water symbolizes the washing away of sins from the old year.
