If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, that’s a little bit out of the ordinary, consider attending the Annual Burmese Water Festival. Each year, the Burmese community hosts a celebration that entails food, music and dancing, and heck of a lot of water. What does the water have to do with anything?
Traditionally, water-related “blessings” are a source of great pride, as it coincides with the Burmese New Year. Water is seen as a way to cleanse the body, the mind and the spirit. The Buddhist festival also marks a time when someone should cast away old things – to lighten the load, or any undue burdens. So expect to get a little wet, while you’re out enjoying this marvelous celebration of Burmese people and the cultural bounty that they bring with them.
What is the Burmese Water Festival? It is a grassroots festival set up by the Burmese community. It is a celebration for the Burmese New Years. Their New Year’s celebration traditionally takes place in April, but since it is Buffalo, and April is still quite cold, the whole ‘water’ aspect of the festival would not be quite as enjoyable.
What makes this festival in Burma so important? Since it is a national holiday race, and religion is not important. It is the one holiday that all the different ethnic groups in Burma can celebrate. This year’s water festival will have performers representing over 6 different ethnic groups in Burma including Mon, Karen, Karenni, Zomi, Chin, and Arakanese.
What is the importance of water? The water symbolizes the cleansing into the New Year. It is used to wash away your sins and bad luck from the past year so you are clean and prepared to move into the next.
What to expect at the Burmese water festival? The water festival is not your average festival, be prepared to get wet and maybe slapped with white powder.
This year the festival is featuring five dancing groups coming in from Maryland, five groups from Buffalo, a singer from Rochester and singers from San Francisco all of which will be performing traditional Burmese music.
3rd Annual Burmese Water Festival
Date: June 27 2014
Time: 10am-8pm
Place: Grant Street (between W. Ferry & Hampshire)