The Karen Community holds a wide range of cultural events every year, many of these events involve preserving our culture and traditions with burst of colourful costumes, food, dancing and singing.
Water Festival / Thingyan
“Thingyan” (pronounced Thin Jarn) is the traditional Myanmar New year festival celebrated in the middle of April each year where younger people have to opportunity to sprinkle water on their elders as a sign or respect for each other. The act of splashing water also symbolises purification, cleansing ourselves from the evil and misfortune in the year just past.
The water festival is very well celebrated in Asia and forms one of the most interesting and fun ways to welcome the lunar New Year. People roam the streets with containers of water or water-guns, or post themselves at the side of roads with a garden hose and drench each other and passersby. This, however, was not always the main activity of this festival which was traditionally a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends and neighbors wishing them good fortunes in the year coming.
Another celebration activity of the water festival includes the release of birds and fish. In the Buddhists culture, it is believed that one would gain good merit that can be transferred to the afterlife by releasing animals back in to the wild (usually fish and birds).
Kathina Festival
The Kathin (Robe-Offering) Festival (also called Kathina or Thot Kathin in Thai) is an important celebration in the Buddhist calendar. It is an event where Buddhist lay people present donations to the monks and nuns in their monastery especially new robes.
The Kathin Festival ceremony in Bendigo has brought together monks, nuns and lay people of different nationalities and Buddhist traditions. In previous years Lao, Thai, Tibetan and Sri Lankan monks have also joined us in the celebration. This reflects the multicultural, diverse nature of the community in Bendigo and people of all traditions and backgrounds are invited.
Yarghu Festival
“Yarghu” is a food traditionally cooked by the ethnic Pa-O people.
The festival is a feast and gathering traditionally celebrated in the eleventh month of the Burmese calendar, and aimed to help people overcome misfortune or illness.
Yarghu (Hta Ma Ne in Burmese) food is an important part of the festival. Yarghu food is specially prepared by seven people with seven ingredients of glutinous rice, coconut slices, sesame seeds, peanuts, garlic, ginger and cooking oil. Long spoon utensils like oars are used to stir the food. Before eating, a small portion of the food is placed on the head. By doing so it is believed to create good fortune or luck.
People from all religions and cultures come together to celebrate the Yarghu festival. People say prayers for those who have suffered misfortune or illness.
Waso Festival
Buddhist monks and nuns observe a three-month “rains retreat” where they should return to sleep in the same monastery each night, and avoid travelling if necessary.
The three-month rains retreat is called “Waso” or “Wazo” in Burmese, and “Vassa” in Thai.
For forest monks and nuns, the rains retreat is often a time of intense meditation practise. For monks and nuns who live in monasteries in towns and villages, the rains retreat is a time when their involvement with the community continues, but they do not travel and may try to set more time aside for meditation or study.
Waso is a small festival held in the place where monks or nuns will return to sleep each night. Monks or nuns will lead the community in chanting in Pali (the ancient Buddhist language) and then the community presents the monks or nuns with new robes and necessities they will need during the rains retreat.
The timing of Waso depends on the lunar calendar, but is in July in the Western calendar.
Wrist Tying Festival
The Karen Buddhist Dhamma Dhutta Foundation organised the first Karen Wrist Tying Festival in Bendigo in 2011. The whole community was involved in the festival.
Wrist Tying is a cultural practice in India, Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Different cultures and religions give different meanings to the practice of wrist tying.
For Karen Christians, Buddhists and Animists the Wrist Tying Festival symbolises renewing bonds within families and community. When Christians and Buddhists, Karens and Australians celebrate the festival together it becomes a symbol of community solidarity.
In addition to traditional Karen Wrist Tying Festival, the monastery holds Buddhist wrist tying ceremonies for individuals or families when requested. Buddhist wrist tying ceremony is a part of Sri Lankan, Thai and Lao culture also and we are happy to perform the ceremony for everyone.