CULTURE OF BURMA

BURMA HAS BEEN INFLUENCED BY BUDDHISM.  THEY HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED BY ITS NEIGHBOR S IN INDIA AND CHINA.  IN RECENT YEARS BRITISH RULE AND WESTERN DEALS INFLUENCED BERMA'S LANGUAGE AND EDUCATION.

THEIR ART AND EDUCATION WAS BASED ON HINDU AND BUDDHIST COSMOLOGY.  THEY PRACTICE ARTS AS WELL AS SILK WEAVING, POTTERY, TAPESTRY, GEMSTONE CARVING AND GOLD LEAF MAKING.  THEIR PAGODAS ARE COVERED WITH LAYERS OF GOLD LEAF.

BUDDHISM PROHIBITS READING FICTION.  BRITISH FICTION BECAME  VERY POPULAR.  POETRY IS PROMINENT.  THESE FOLKS USE MANY TRADITIONAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS INCLUDING AN ORCHESTRA AND FOLK MUSIC IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.  AN ARCHED HARP IS TRACED TO PREHISTORIC TIMES,  THEY SING ABOUT LEGENDS OR NATURAL BEAUTY OF THE LAND AND PADDY FIELDS.

THEY TRADITIONALLY WEAR SARONGS - BOTH MEN AND WOMEN.  THE DRESS FANCIER FOR BUSINESS.  THE WOMEN HAVE EAR PIERCING CEREMONIES.  THE BURMESE HAVE AN OLD LANGUAGE.  ELDERS ARE SPOKEN TO IN A RESPECTFUL MANNER  WITH SPECIAL TREATMENT.  CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT TO BE RESPECTFUL OF PEOPLE IN SOCIETY.

WOMEN ARE LESS EQUAL THAN MEN.  AGE IS CONSIDERED SYNONYMOUS WITH EXPERIENCE.  THNGS ARE PASSED TO BOTH ELDERS.  PEOPLE KEEP  EMOTIONS IN PRIVATE.

THEY EAT CHINESE, INDIA AND THAI FOOD WITH A SPICY , TASTE AND MEAT CURRY.  THEY HAVE PLENTY OF FISH AND SHRIMP PASTE AVAILABLE.  THEY EAT MANY ETHNIC FOODS WITH THEIR FINGERS.  MARRIAGE IS A RELIGIOUS CEREMONY OR IT CAN BE SIMPLE.   THE CEREMONIES ARE AVOIDED DURING BUDDHIST LENT.  THEY MAY CONSULT WITH ASTROLOGER FOR THEIR EVENT.  SOMETIMES THEY HAVE A CONCH SHELL CEREMONY.  SOMETIMES THEY MAY BE IN A HOTEL.  BUDDHISM AND HINDUISM WERE PREDOMINANT EARLY ON.  CHRISTIANITY CAME DURING THE EUROPEAN MISSIONARIES IN 1800'S.  THEY HAVE SEVERAL CHINESE TEMPLES.  SOME FOLKS FOLLOW ANIMISM.  THEY HAVE TENSIONS BETWEEN TWO RELIGIOUS GROUPS.

THE BURMESE HAVE A GROUP OF PAGODAS AND HAVE MANY FESTIVALS, ONE EACH MONTH.  IN MID APRIL IS THEIR MOST FESTIVE, ONE EACH MONTH..  IN MID APRIL IS THEIR MOST FESTIVE - A CELEBRATION OF LUNAR NEW YEAR.  THEY PLAYED ALL KINDS OF SPORTS.

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