The month of(ဖဝ်ရဂိုန်) is the last month of the Mon calendar and it is also the month when the Sand Pagoda Festival is held.  During the festival, people build sand pagodas and decorate them with flowers, leaves, and other materials. The pagodas are then placed on the banks of rivers and lakes. The festival is a time for people to come together and celebrate the end of the year. It is also a time to give thanks for the bountiful harvest. Novitiation Ceremony, known as(သ္ပခမီ), is also one of Mon festivals when young boys between 10 to 20 years old take temporary Buddhist monkhood for a short period of time, mostly for a month during  the Burmese lent. Burmese Buddhist Parents are very proud of their son because giving birth to one of Buddha’s Son is a merit and the greatest gift for good deeds of their life. families with daughters are also proud of their daughters because they can give birth to future novices and for this life they add their donations in the novitiation ceremony. Some families get together and celebrate the ceremony by walking around the neighborhood before accepting to become a novice and shave their head. It’s a great way to learn about Mon culture and religion.