Is the China Zodiac in Myanmar different from that in China?

In Myanmar, don't be surprised if you hear that someone is a "bird with strange wings", because unlike the Chinese zodiac in China, there are only eight kinds of animals in Myanmar with different contents. More interestingly, what everyone belongs to depends on which day of the week he was born.

Closely related to astrology

If we want to talk about the Chinese zodiac in Myanmar, we should first start with the astrology in Myanmar. Myanmar calendar has its own unique name for every day of the week, which is closely related to astrology. For example, Sunday is called Sun Obsidian Day, and Monday is called Moon Obsidian Day ... In particular, on Wednesday, Burmese divide Wednesday into two half days, the morning is called "Water Obsidian Day" and the afternoon is called "Robbie Obsidian Day". Among them, "Luo" is a demon in ancient Indian legend, robbing the sun and the moon of brilliance and making an eclipse of the sun and the moon.

It is precisely because of these eight "astrological days" that eight genera of Myanmar have also emerged accordingly. These eight genera are: tiger on Monday, lion on Tuesday, elephant on Wednesday morning, toothless elephant on Wednesday afternoon, mouse on Thursday, guinea pig on Friday, dragon on Saturday and winged bird on Sunday. According to the date of birth, Burmese people can determine what animal they are.

The name should correspond to the genus.

Some of the eight animals in Myanmar come from Buddhist scriptures and legends, and some come from real life. For Burmese people, it has special significance. For example, lions and tigers often appear as protectors. In front of many buildings, we can see their tall and powerful statues (mostly lions). In addition, the elephant is especially loved in Myanmar. Burmese people think it is an auspicious animal and the white elephant is a sacred symbol. In fact, among the eight genera, the other two are the most special: "Dragon" and "Miaoyi Bird". Speaking of dragons, we naturally think of the majestic image of dragons. But this dragon is not another dragon. The Burmese dragon is called Naga. It has no sharp claws and no gorgeous appearance, but it looks more like a snake. Wonderful winged bird, also known as Dapeng bird, is a legendary god bird and a natural enemy of Naga, and they often fight endlessly.

Burmese people have no surname, only a first name. You can't just name it, you should correspond to your own genus. People who name their children are generally astrologers. Someone made an interesting statistic, and now the total number of commonly used names for men and women in Myanmar is less than 100. Burmese people combine these limited words with each other to form different names.

Bow to the zodiac tower on your birthday.

Because the zodiac depends on the date of birth, in theory, Burmese people can have their birthdays once a week. According to the reporter, although no one really celebrates once a week, the way they celebrate their birthdays is unique.

The complexity of Myanmar people's birthday celebration depends on their personal financial resources, and the celebration time is generally before noon 12. On my birthday, some relatives and friends will come to congratulate me. Traditional Burmese cakes and snacks are usually eaten at celebrations, and those who have the conditions will also commemorate them by donating money, giving alms, chanting scriptures and doing things.

The famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is located in Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar, and its main tower is surrounded by 64 small pagodas. These little golden pagodas are divided into eight directions, and different directions represent different zodiac signs. For example, the north of the tower represents the tiger, the northeast represents the lion, and the southwest represents the toothless elephant ... On the birthday, the Burmese in Yangon will go to the Shwedagon Tower after fasting and bathing, and bow down, bathe and pray in front of their zodiac tower. The so-called bathing Buddha means that there is a water tank near each Buddha statue and a small water cup next to it. The believers poured water from the cup on the Buddha statue to show their piety. It is said that bathing Buddha is also exquisite. How old are you? You can only drink a few glasses of water when bathing the Buddha statue, and you can't just pour it out.

However, today's Burmese people have gradually accepted western-style birthday celebrations. On birthdays, people go to bars to get together, give gifts and eat birthday cakes. Especially among young people, this kind of celebration is becoming more and more common.