Traditional customs and customs taboos in Myanmar

Burmese people are warm, hospitable and optimistic, and many customs and habits are inseparable from the canons and teachings of Theravana Buddhism. For example, when going from temples to Buddhist pagodas, all men, women, old and young, civilians, dignitaries, and diplomats must take off their shoes; during the Water-Splashing Festival, except monks and pregnant women, water can be poured on anyone, and those who are splashed must not be angry and angry.

1. Call Burmese people, regardless of gender, with a name or surname. They usually put a title before their own names to imply differences in gender, seniority, social status and official rank. Men generally call themselves "mao" to imply humility; to younger generations, they also call them "mao" to mean younger brother); to those with respect or status, they call them "wu" to imply respect; to their peers or young people, they call them "guo" to mean older brother). For example, a man named "Sheng Wen" can be called "Mao Sheng Wen","Guo Shengwen" or "Wu Shengwen" according to his age or status. If he were an officer, he would be called "Saia teacher or doctor" Sheng Wen. But I call myself "Sheng Wen" or "Sheng Wen". There is also the title of "Deqin" before his own name, which means "master." In the years when the Burmese people fought for independence, many patriots took the lead in their own names. "The title" Deqin "implies the ambition of not being a slave but becoming the master of the country.

Burmese women usually call "ma"(meaning sister), and older or respected women, whether married or unmarried, are called "du"(meaning aunt, aunt, and aunt). For example, there is a daughter named "Danyi". People can call her "Madanyi" or "Du Danyi", but she herself is usually called "Madanyi". Women still use their own name when getting married.

2. When introducing Burmese people, if the two people being introduced are of the same gender and have the same level and position, the introducers are generally in no order, no matter which party is introduced first. When introducing, first state the name of the person being introduced, and then state the position. After being introduced, the two either shook hands or signaled friendliness with visual cues. Of course, if there are gender differences between the two parties being introduced, women are generally introduced first; if there are differences in levels and positions, the ones with higher levels and positions are introduced first. Note that after two parties with different genders are introduced to each other, if the woman does not imply shaking hands, the man cannot take the initiative to reach out and shake hands with the woman.

One greeting that Burmese people can use on any occasion is: "You are lucky! "At this time, the other party replied: " Good luck and good luck."

3. Clothing "Longji"·"Temin"·"Barefoot" Burmese people, regardless of men and women, wear long skirts. Men wear "Longji" and women wear "Temin". The long skirt is one or two times wider than the body and is not tied with any belt. The men's skirt is only tied with knots on the front, and the women's skirt is tied on the side. Men's skirts are mostly made of white tulle, and the tops are short and often cannot cover the upper end of the skirt. Modern Myanmar women also wear short-sleeved shirts, but it is not common.

Burmese people rarely wear socks on weekdays. They usually only wear thin leather slippers or bare feet, no matter what the grand event is. In the past, when visiting Burmese homes, guests had to take off their shoes at the door and enter the house barefoot. Now this custom has gradually changed, but if they want to enter a pagoda or temple, all men and women, senior officials or foreign envoys must take off their shoes. When someone passes in front of him while sitting, he must bow and walk by, implying courtesy.

"Head wrap"·"Post wrap" In Myanmar, men are often seen wrapped in plain tulle or silk gauze, and a corner of the headscarf must be left to hang down to the right ear. This kind of plain head wrap is called "Post wrap" by Burmese people.

According to historical records, the custom of wrapping heads began in the Bagan era. From emperors to civilians, everyone paid attention to wrapping their heads. The difference was that emperors, ministers and wealthy aristocrats had to wrap their heads exposed; royal aristocrats had to wrap their heads. "Gang Bao" is often inlaid with gold rims, woven with gold threads, decorated with pearls and gems; the back of the emperor's head should have a straight and upright scarf tail, and ministers and nobles should have two scarf tails. "Duty bag" is not only an ornament, but also a symbol of power level.

After many dynasties changes, it has become rare for men to wrap their heads, but this custom has not yet been eliminated. Today, men can buy ready-made and exquisite "post bags" of the right size in stores just like buying hats, giving modern head-wrappers comfortable satisfaction.

4. Housing Zhuge Hat Building Most of the Shan State villages in Myanmar are two-story buildings with bamboo and wood structures and straw rafts on the roof. The upper floors live people, and the lower floors raise livestock. This architectural form is said to have been invented by Zhuge Liang. Legend has it that after Zhuge Liang marched south to Menghuo, he left a group of soldiers to cultivate land in the China-Myanmar border area, but the soldiers refused to stay for fear of miasma. Zhuge Liang estimated that it was caused by housing problems. So he designed a new building based on his own tiled hat and ordered the soldiers to copy it. As a result, he really avoided it. quot; The harm of miasma. Because it was created according to Zhuge Liang's hat, some people call this kind of building "Zhuge Hat Style Building."

Most of the villages of the Kachin ethnic Myanmar in Ghost House are built on high mountains. Inside their house, there are many fire ponds on one side, and on the other side are guest rooms and "ghost rooms" where ghosts, gods and ancestors are housed. Red and green turbans and cow heads are hung on the pillars of the ghost rooms, and strangers are not allowed to enter. The house has two front and rear doors. The front door allows for living people and the back door allows for ghosts and gods. If a guest mistakenly enters the ghost gate, he will be punished and killed and sacrificed to calm the ghosts and gods and avenge the owner's shame.

When guests visit, they must get off their horses when entering the camp, go barefoot when entering the house, and walk hard, otherwise they will be regarded as thieves. The things you carry must be placed in a designated place. When hanging the sword, the blade must be outward, and the inner edge will be considered an assassin.

5. Religious rituals Myanmar is a Buddhist country. Monks have a very high status in society and are deeply admired and worshipped by people. All boys from Buddhist families hold a grand renunciation ceremony between the ages of 5 and 15. They enter the temple as a monk and live a retreat. The time can be long or short, generally the shortest is one week. A monk can return to the secular world, but a monk cannot marry if a man is inappropriate. For this reason, don't be surprised to see so many monks.

6. Marriage customs According to traditional customs in Myanmar, if a young man wants to marry a certain girl and wants to tell his parents what he wants to do, they go to the woman's house and tell her parents. If the old people all agree to the marriage, the young people will live together. But this does not mean that you start life as a couple, is this? quot; Cognitive stage." Two or three years later, the original intentions of the young man and woman remained unchanged. World Customs Network did not talk about holding a wedding. One common feature of Burmese marriage customs is that weddings have no religious overtones. After marriage, the bride is independent, does not change her name, and has ownership of her own property, which can be taken away in case of divorce. Economic equality. Therefore, in this so-called "Asia's No. 1 feminist country", there are several saying: "A monk is good when he is thin, a water buffalo is good when he is fat, a man is good when he is smart, and a woman is good when he is married. " 7. Taboos There are also some different customs and taboos among various ethnic groups in Myanmar. For example, some Burmese people must face south or east when they sleep; the elderly in the family have seats on top of their heads and the younger ones at the back of their feet; they cannot cross the river by boat on Fridays; and encountering fungi during the journey is the luckiest sign.

When the Shan male master goes out, the hostess will lay a bouquet of flowers in front of the Buddha statue to predict the fate of the person who goes out. Without the owner's permission, no family member or guests are allowed to sit in the male master's fixed position; Go upstairs, you must take off your shoes; guests must eat tea, fruits, and food for guests, otherwise they will think the guests are rude; whistles and whistles are not allowed in merchants 'homes, which they believe will blow away their wealth.

The Qin people particularly believe in the theory of retribution. If you laugh at others for being ugly, your own children will also be very ugly; if you laugh at others for being poor, you will also be poor in the future.

Kachin men are most taboo when others touch their heads; Kachin men cannot allow women to be taller than themselves in any way. For example, if a woman is upstairs in a house, a man will never go downstairs, and a man will never use something that a woman has used.