Raymart P.

Geradila BSed – 3 A Friday 1:30 to 4:30

MYANMAR
The name of the country of Burma (or Myanmar, as it is now officially known) is
associated with the dominant ethnic group, the Burmese. Because of the current regime's
lack of legitimacy and poor human rights record, it is common practice outside the
country not to use the name Myanmar. The country fell under British colonial rule during
the nineteenth century. When it became independent as the Union of Burma in 1948, the
country almost immediately entered a state of civil war as ethnic minorities fought
against the Burmese-dominated central government. Insurgencies by some ethnic groups
continue.

BURMESE CUSTOMS

Burmese are a very friendly and outgoing people, especially towards visitors.
However it is considered improper to lose one's temper or show much emotion in public.

Myanmar culture is basically Buddhist and so much of the accepted etiquette

pertains to Buddhist beliefs. As in all Buddhist countries, the head is considered to be the
most sacred part of the body, where as the feet are considered dirty and corrupt. For this
reason it is important never to touch anyone's head. Even ruffling a child's hair will be
seen as a grave insult. [Source: Myanmar2day.com ]

Some customs and traditions endure from the British colonial period. Myanmar
still uses English accounting systems and legal systems. Some Burmese observe tea time.

Heads, Hands and Rules in Myanmar

1) Never raise your underwear above your head. This is considered very rude. 2)
Never clean your feet in the basin you used to clean your hands and face. 3) Never use
the water from the drinking pot to wash your feet. Myanmar people will consider this an
insult. 4) Never put your feet on the pillow used for the head, or sit on the pillow for the
head. 5) Never use your feet to point to a thing or a place. This is an insult for a Myanmar
(Burmese). 6) Never touch a person’s hair, head or cheek, even if you consider it as a
friendly gesture. Myanmar people would not consider it friendly, and will think you are
rude. 7) Don’t point your feet towards Buddha’s image, elder person or any sacred place.
Better not to point your feet to anybody at all. 8) It is considered highly impolite to
indicate something with your chin or your foot. 9) Don't walk over bridges when
someone is walking over it so feet aren't above head.

Myanmar (Burmese) people have different view on upper and lower parts of the
body. Upper part is considered sacred while lower part is considered inferior to the upper
part, even considered dirty. Therefore, never mix the things you use for your upper part
with that of the lower part. For example, towel used for the lower part should never be
mixed with the upper part, especially the one used for the head and the one for the feet.
Do's and Don'ts in Myanmar (Burma)

Don'ts: 1) Do not spit in front of the elderly people; 2) Do not step over elderly people
who are sitting; 3) Do not criticize nor disgrace someone in front of the strangers; 4) Do
not meddle in the family matters; 5) Do not try to borrow anything from a guest; 6) Do
not praise your own talent or wisdom; 7) Do not give anything to the elder people with
only one hand; 8) Do not ask the income of the other person; 9) Do not else bluntly ask
the age of a woman; 11) Do not enter the private apartment of others; 10) Do not look at
what the other people are reading; 11) Do not walk side by side with a teacher, follow
him or her; 12) Do not accept what you do not deserve. <>
Greetings in Myanmar

The "traditional" Burmese greeting is mingalaba , from Pali mangala and roughly
translated as 'auspiciousness to you'); this is, however, a comparatively recent form of
greeting, originating in the 1960s as a replacement in schools for the English language
greeting "Good morning/afternoon, teacher" in the newly nationalised missionary
schools. Greetings such as "Have you eaten?" Htamin sa pi bi la) and "How are you?" Nei
kaung la) are still common. "Hello" is also a popular greeting nowadays, whereas it used
to be confined to answering the phone. [Source: Wikipedia +]

Greeting with a smile is a customarily accepted cultural norm of the Myanmar

people. Physical contact/touch, such as a handshake, is not the norm in Burma. A slight
bow of the head is the common way to greet others. It is especially frowned upon to touch
anyone older than oneself on the top of the head or to touch anyone of the opposite sex.
Home Customs in Myanmar
If visiting a Myanmar home, shoes should be taken off at the door. More urbane
city dwellers may find that a polite attempt at removing shoes shows enough respect, but
even then do not walk on carpets or rugs. These are for sitting on. People are also expected
to remove their shoes when visiting temples and pagodas. Unlike Thailand where shoes
are removed at the temples and pagodas themselves. In Myanmar they are removed
before entering the temple or pagoda grounds.

1) Do not walk on carpets, even with slippers, carpets are often used for sitting; 2)
Do not wear the hat in the house, except gaungpaung; 3) Do not be fussy when you are a
guest; 4) Do not reject any visitor at your door if he is not endangering you; 5) Guests are
often shown photo albums of family trips or important family events.
Eating Customs in Myanmar
When eating, it is customary for the elderly to be served first and coughing,
sneezing or blowing one's nose at table is not acceptable. Politely excuse yourself if you
feel the need. Also do not use tooth-picks without covering with you’re your mouth
with your hand or sit at the head of the table unless you are eldest person there. Out of
respect, the eldest diners are always served first before the rest join in; even when the
elders are absent, the first morsel of rice from the pot is scooped and put aside as an act
of respect to one's parents, a custom known as u cha (lit. first serve).

Dishes are served simultaneously. A typical meal includes steamed rice as the
main dish and accompanying dishes called hin, including a curried freshwater fish or
dried/salted fish dish, a curried meat or poultry dish instead, a light soup called hin gyo,
called chinyay hin) if sour, and fresh or boiled vegetables to go with a salty dish, almost
invariably a curried sauce of pickled fish (ngapi yayjo) in Lower Burma. Fritters such as
gourd or onions in batter as well as fish or dried tofu crackers are extra. [Source:
Wikipedia +]
Table Manners

During your time in Myanmar, if you are lucky, you might find yourself being
invited to eat with a local family. This is a great honor and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Bear in mind these next few points before diving in and offending anyone:

1. At a typical meal, all dishes are served simultaneously. It’s important to wait until
all of the dishes are on the table before helping yourself to anything.

2. And on the note of helping yourself, out of respect, the eldest diner is always
served first. Even if the parent or elder is absent, the first scoop of rice is still set
aside as a sign of respect. Everyone else is then served afterwards.

3. While your tummy might be rumbling, it’s always seen as polite to serve others
before yourself. If you see a dish you like, then spoon some onto your neighbor’s
plate before adding any to yours.

Languages of Myanmar
There are approximately a hundred languages spoken in Myanmar (also known
as Burma).[1] Burmese, spoken by two thirds of the population, is the official language.[2]

he Burmese language is the Sino-Tibetan languagespoken in Myanmar where it is

an official language and the language of the Bamar people, the country's principal ethnic
group. Although the Constitution of Myanmar officially recognizes the English name of
the language as the Myanmar language,[4] most English speakers continue to refer to the
language as Burmese, after Burma, the older name for Myanmar. In 2007, it was spoken as
a first language by 33 million, primarily the Bamar (Burman) people and related ethnic
groups, and as a second language by 10 million, particularly ethnic minorities in
Myanmar and neighboring countries.
Burmese is a tonal, pitch-register, and syllable-timed
language, largely monosyllabic and analytic, with a subject–object–verb word order. It
[5]

is a member of the Lolo-Burmese grouping of the Sino-Tibetan language family.

The Burmese alphabet is ultimately descended from a Brahmic script,
either Kadamba or Pallava.

Myanmar Culture and Tradition

People have lived in modern-day Myanmar for thousands of years. The first major
civilisation was the Pyu, who arrived and settled from southern China in the second
century BC. Myanmar was on a major trade route between China and southern India and
people crossed from one place to the next on a regular basis. The Pyu are believed to
have brought Theravada Buddhism, the major religion in Myanmar today, to the
country.

The modern day Burmese, part of the Bamar ethnic group, migrated to the Upper
Irrawaddy Valley in the 9th century. They then went on to establish the Kingdom of
Pagan in 1044 who ruled over modern-day Bagan until the Mongol invasion in
1287. Burmese culture, identity, and languages flourished during this reign and
evolved into the typical Burmese culture today.

After the fall of Pagan, a series of city-states sprouted up for a few centuries and were
constantly feuding and warring with each other. The Taungoo Dynasty in the 16th
century unified the states under one nation. The leadership was replaced by the
Konbaung Dynasty who were the last Burmese Kingdom in Mandalay before British
colonization.

The British ruled from 1824 until 1948 and contributed to the development of Rangoon,
an administrative system, and infrastructure. One of the legacies of colonialism is the
old name of the country, Burma, which originates from the country’s main ethnic group:
the Bamar people.

In 1948, Burma gained their sovereignty and began to wrestle with internal conflicts and
politics. The country entered a civil war and found themselves under a strict military
regime from 1962 until 1988. Pro-democracy movements began and culminated in the
election of the first non-military leader in 2016. Despite Myanmar now being a democratic
country, they still face a number of internal problems and civil unrest.