BURMA CULTURE

BURMA HAS BEEN HEAVILY INFLUENCED HAS BEEN HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY BUDDISM AND MOW PEOPLE.  BURMESE CULTURE HAS ALSO BEEN INFLUENCED BY INDIA, THAILAND AND CHINA.  THEIR ART WAS BASED ON BUDDISM OR HINDU COSMOLOGY.  THEY HAVE KNOWN10 DIFFERENT DIFFERENT TYPES OF ART BASED ON DIFFERENT TYPES BASED ON BUDDA FEATURES . THEY MAKE GOLD LEAF PAGODAS AND MONASTERIES BUILT OF WOOD. THEY MAKE VARIOUS COPPER/GOLD MYTHICAL STATUES AND ANIMALS.    THEIR ARCHITECTURE HAS VARIOUS SCULPTURAL FEATURES .

THEY LOVE TO WRITE POETRY AND HAVE MANY POPULAR NOVELS AND WRITE WESTERN CLASSICS.

THEY HAVE THREE TYPES OF DANCES.  THEY ARE DRAMATIC , FOLK, AND VILLAGE AND NATURAL DANCES.   SOME DANCES ARE FAST PACED AND OTHERS HAVE AN EMPHASIS ON POSITION. 

BURMESE MUSIC USES TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS.  THEY HAVE AN ORCHESTRA THAT IS CALLED HSAING WAING THAT THEY USE MOSTLY IN THE WEST.  TRADITIONAL FOLK MUSIC IS TYPICAL IN SOUTH EAST ASIA.  IT HAS SUDDEN SHIFTS RYTHM.  AN INSTRUMENT UNIQUE TO BURMA IS SAUN GAUK, AN ARCHED HARP.  THEY HAVE BOTH INDOOR AND OUTDOOR ENSEMBLES.  THE SONGS TEND TO BE LEGENDS OF PALI  - A RELIGIOUS POWER OF MONARCHS.   THEY TELL STORIES OF THE LANDS, MOUNTAINS, FORESTS AND THE SEASONS, OF FEMININE BEAUTY, LOVE.  THE TRADITIONAL BURMESE GREETING IS
' MINGALA', A PALIMINGALA AND ROUGHLY  TRANSLATEDAUSPICIOUS.  THEY RECENTLY SAY HELLO.

THE BURMESE DRESS IS A LONGI AND A SARONG.  THIS IS REPLACED AND A TRADITIONAL PASO FOR MEN AND A 20TH CENTURY.  IN FORMAL OCCASSIONS.  DURING THE BRITISH ERA THE BURMESE NATIONALISTS HAD  TRADITIONAL CLOTHING IN THE 1920'S.  THE MEN WEAR SHORT HAIR BUT THEY USED TO HAVE LONG HAIR.  WOMEN BEGAN WEARING HAIRSTYLES LIKE AMAUK CONSISTING OF CRESTED BANGSTHE FEMALE SARONG BECAME SHORTER AND REVEALED MORE WAISTLINE. 

THE BURMESE LANGUAGE IS AGE ORIENTED.  YOUNG MALES ARE ADDRESSED AS LITTLE BROTHER OR SENIOR WOMEN.  ELDERS ARE SPOKEN TO IN A MORE RESPECTFUL MANNER.

BURMESE SOCIETY OPERATES BASED ON AVOIDANCE OR EMBARRASSEMENT.  THIS IS A WEIR CULTURE AND THEY DO NOT BELIEVE IN SAYING THANK YOU. IT IS TABOO TO TOUCH A PERSON'S HAIR, FEET OR HEAD.  THEY DO NOT WANT TO POINT A FINGER AT BUDDHA.  THEY TAKE THEIR SHOES OFF ONCE ENTERING HOMES.  PAGODA COMPOUNDS.  AFFECTION BETWEEN FRIENDS IS PUBLIC , BUT NOT BETWEEN LOVERS.

THEIR FOOD IS INFLUENCED BY INDIAN CHINESE AND THAI FOOD THAT IS MILDLY SPICY WITH USE OF SEVERAL CURRY MEATS.  SOME OF THEIR SAUCES ARE FERMENTED.

BURMESE CUISINE USES CHICKPEAS, LENTILS AND TAMARIND.  INDIAN DISHES ARE  COMMON.  THEIR THERE NATIONAL DISHES ARE MAKING RICE NOODLES IN A FISH SOUP.  SALADS WITH TEA LEAVES ARE MADE AND THEY USE CHOP STICKS TO.  THEY EAT INDIAN BREADS.

THERE FOLKLORE COMMUNITY CONSIDERS LOVE TOO BE A DESTINY.  THE HINDU GIVES THEM THEIR DESTINY IN LOVE BY AGE OF 6 DAYS.  THE WEDDING CAN BE A SIMPLE OR EXTRAVAGANT AFFAIR.  THEY DO NOT HAVE DOWRIES OR ARRANGED MARRIAGES AND MAY NOT OFFICIATE IT.  BUDDIST MONKS ARE NOT PRESENT IN A MARRIAGEAND MAY NOT OFFICIATE IT.  THEY MAY BLESS IT.  THE COUPLE MAY HAVE A SPECIAL WEDDING  THAT TAKES MONTHS AND IS ARRANGED  BY ASTROLOGER FOR CHOOSING THE DATE.  A BRAHMIN  IS HIRED TO  BLOW A CONCH
SHELL TO BEGIN THE CEREMONY.  THE COUPLES PALMS ARE DIPPED IN THE SILVER  BOWL.  THEY SING CHANTS AND THE BRAHMIN JOINS THEIR PALMS AND BLOWS A CONCH SHELL TO END. 

 THE BURMESE FUNERALS LAST A WEEK AND THEY CREMATE OR BURY THE BODY.  DURING THE FUNERAL IN THE FORM OF PAPER FANS WITH THE PAPER FANSWITH THE PERSON'S WINDOW TO LET THEIR SPIRIT LEAVE.

THE BURMA RELIGION IS BUDDIST SINCE THE  CHRISTIAN ERA.   SOME HINDUISM AND ANIMISM.  THE EARLY FOLKS WERE ANIMISTS.  CHRISTIANITY CAME HERE IN 1800'S.  IT MADE LITTLE HEADWAY BUT HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY NON BUDDISTS SUCH AS CHINA.  BURMA HAS THE SECOND LARGEST BAPTIST POPULATION IN THE WORLD.

THERE ARE CHINESE MIXED WITH THIS POPULATION, BUT THERE CONTRIBUTION TO BURMA HAS BEEN LITTLE.  THEY HAVE SEVERAL CHINESE TEMPLES IN YANGON AND CITIES ENCOURAGED BY THE BRITISH.  SINCE 1990 THIS MIGRATION WAS HAS RESUMED IN HUGE NUMBERS.  THE MODERN CHINESE  IMMIGRANTS HAVE LITTLE INTEREST IN RELIGION.  THERE ARE TENSIONS BETWEEN THE BUDDISTS AND MUSLIMS.  IN 2001 RIOTS BROKE OUT.  THERE LAND HAS MANY PAGODAS OF BUDDISM.  THEY HAVE PILGRIMAGE SITES.  BAGAN IS THEIR ANCIENT CAPITAL WHERE 1000'S OFTEMPLES HAVE STOOD IN VARIOUS STATES OF REPAIR.  MONASTERIES ARE PLACES OF LEARNING WHERE CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT.

THE MOST IMPORTANT BURMESE FESTIVALS PAYA PINE.  DURING MID APRIL THEY CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR CALED WATER FESTIVAL.

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