Lying in a meeting place of two of the world's great civilisations - China and India - Myanmar?s culture is neither that of India nor China, but a blend of both interspersed with Myanmar?s native traits and characteristics.Its early civilisation dates back to 5th century, while its greatness in history dates back to 11th century. As a result, a legacy of rich cultural heritage and numerous historical and archaeological places lives on.Buddhism has a great influence on the daily lives of the Myanmar people. The people have preserved the traditions of close family ties, respect for elders, devotion to Buddhist teachings and wearing the simple native dress.Theravada Buddhism is the predominant religion with 80 per cent of the people embracing it. There are also Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Animists.Language: Burmese is the predominant language and has its own alphabet and script. English is spoken by a few Burmans, particularly by the older generation.Art: Art has been closely intertwined with religion and royalty in Burman history. Temples, pagodas and palaces display the artistic skills of painters, wood carvers and sculptures. Temples and pagodas were traditionally built of brick and many are still standing. The great palaces, however, were made of wood. Art and architecture, which relied on royal support, faded when the last royal kingdom collapsed.Although court culture has been extinguished, popular street-level culture is vibrant and thriving. Drama is the mainstay of this culture, and just about any celebration is a good excuse for a pwe (show). Performances may recount Buddhist legends, or be more light-hearted entertainments involving slapstick comedy, dance, ensemble singing or giant puppets. Burman music is an integral part of a pwe; it originates from Siam and emphasises rhythm and melody. Instruments are predominantly percussive and include drums, boat-shaped harps, gongs and bamboo flutes.Name: A Myanmar has no family name. A woman has her own name and retains it even after marriage. A child is normally named according to the day of the week he(or she) was born, whereby each day of the week is denoted by certain letters of the Myanmar alphabet.A person is usually addressed according to his age. For older people, their names are pre-fixed with U(pronouced Oo) and Daw and are the equivalents of Mr and Ms respectively. A young adult is addressed by the Honorifics Ko (for males) and Ma (for females). A child is referred to as Maung and Ma for males and females respectively.Couples in Myanmar are married by registering at the registrar of marriages or by going through a ceremony conducted by a respectable couple at a grand hotel or by sheer mutual consent with no ceremony at all.Social occasions: Births, engagements, and marriages are considered to be auspicious occasions. If one is informed of the death of a friend, it is necessary to send a letter, or telegram if one is unable to visit the deceased?s family or attend the funeral. Failure to do this is insulting to the deceased?s family. Donations are usually given if the deceased ?s family is financially backward.Festivals: Falling in April, the Water Festival (or Thingyan) is celebrated for three days to usher in the Myanmar New Year. In the cities and towns, makeshift pavilions with stages for singing and dancing are erected, and barrels are filled with water. Young people dance and sing on the stages and throw water on all and sundry. It is believed that being drenched with Thingyan water washes away one?s sin and bad luck. Decorative floats may also take part in processions.The Kasone Festival usually falls in May. It was on the full-moon day of the Myanmar month of Kasone that Buddha was born and attained Enlightenment and passed away.The Waso Robe-Offering is performed to commemorate Buddha?s first sermon, and falls on the full moon day in June or July. The day also marks the beginning of the Buddhist Lent.On the full-moon day of Thadingyut (usually in October), the Festival of Lights is celebrated to mark the descent of Buddha from Tavadinsa or the abode of devas.Men?s/women?s role: Myanmar parents favour their sons over their daughters but the latter are treasured as well. Daughters are not considered a burden as no dowry is paid to the bridegroom when they marry.Traditional Myanmar women are not aggressive and usually play second fiddle to their husbands. Women are expected to help with the household chores and take care of their aged parents more than men. Where social life is concerned, unmarried women and bachelors tend to mix with members of the same sex. Between married couples, public displays of affection are rarely seen.Food: It's easier to buy authentic Burman dishes from food stalls rather than restaurants. Chinese and Indian eateries predominate, and hotel restaurants tend to remove much of the chilli and shrimp paste from their Burman dishes. Rice is the core of any Burman meal. To this is added a number of curry options and a spicy raw vegetable salad, and almost everything is flavoured with ngapi - a dried and fermented shrimp paste. Chinese tea is generally preferable to the over-strong, over-sweet and over-milky Burman tea. Sugar-cane juice is a very popular streetside drink, and stronger tipples include orange brandy, lychee wine and the alarming-sounding white liquor and jungle liquor.
