Commonly called the Water Festival, Maha Thingyan allows people to celebrate the Burmese New Year.
Maha Thingyan is observed in mid-April on the Gregorian calendar.
While the Water Festival is a Buddhist event, the government has made it a legal public holiday.
The first Thingyan celebrations begin on the day before the Water Festival.
Thingyan Eve, or A-Kyo Nei, is a time for observing Buddhist beliefs.
