Waso – 12 Months of Mon culture

June(ဒ္ဂိုန်)

The Waso(ဒ္ဂိုန်) festival is held in July and marks the start of the rainy season. Buddhists Lent starts from this month and the monks stay in their temples and practice meditations for three months. People bring them food, robes, medicine, money and other items that they need. The elderly often fast and prepare offerings. Robe Weaving Competitions are also held throughout the country on the full moon day of (ဒ္ဂိုန်) . This is a time of giving and charity, and is a wonderful opportunity to see the Burmese people’s religious beliefs in action.

Mon Traditional Snack(ကွာင်ခေါ်ဂဒဵု)

During this month, which marks the beginning of Buddhist Lent, traditional snacks like(ကွာင်ခေါ်ဂဒဵု) play a special role in religious and cultural practices.ကွာင်ခေါ်ဂဒဵု is a steamed glutinous rice snack wrapped in banana leaves, filled with sweet coconut, jaggery, or sometimes beans. It is often prepared for offering to monks during robe-offering ceremonies and almsgiving events. The snack symbolizes purity, respect, and generosity, aligning with the values of July.

Offering of Alms Bowls

offering of alms bowls and monk necessities to monks entering the Buddhist Lent. As monks begin their three-month rainy season retreat (Vassa), laypeople show their devotion by donating alms bowls, robes, food, and other daily items. This generous act reflects respect, faith, and support for the monastic community. It is believed that making such offerings brings great merit, helping one accumulate good karma.

Teacher Honoring Ceremony

Teacher Honoring Ceremony to show respect and gratitude to monks and teachers. As Waso marks the beginning of Buddhist Lent, laypeople offer robes, food, and other necessities to monks who observe retreat during the rainy season. This ceremony also honors teachers for their guidance in both spiritual and secular life. It reflects Myanmar culture’s deep values of respect, gratitude, and devotion toward those who share wisdom.