Myanmar’s traditional Thingyan Festival was listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage by the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) during its 19th Intergovernmental Committee session in Paraguay from December 2-7, 2024.
“This achievement marks the Thingyan Festival as the first cultural element from Myanmar to be recognized on this prestigious global list,” regime media reported.
Typically held in mid-April, the Thingyan Festival is a deeply rooted cultural tradition involving water pouring to symbolically cleanse misfortune and welcome good luck for the New Year.
It honors elders, and is a time for charitable acts and community performances. Thingyan is an expression of cultural identity and collective renewal, which is similar to water festivals in neighboring Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 and the 2021 military coup, Myanmar’s people have been unable to fully enjoy the festivities. While the current military regime in Naypyidaw, which seized power after the coup, attempts to maintain a sense of normalcy nationwide by organizing Thingyan events, resistance groups have consistently called on the public to boycott.
Myanmar submitted its nomination to UNESCO for Thingyan to be added as Intangible Cultural Heritage on March 24, 2023.
