April

by Hla Min

Updated : May 2025

Background

• 2nd month of old Roman Calendar
• 4th month of the Gregorian Calendar
• Has 30 days

Events

Thingyan

• Thingyan means “Change”.
• Cula Thingyan (small change) occurs every month when the Sun sign enters a new Yathi / Rasi.
• Maha Thingyan (big change) occurs every year on April 13
  In the Geocentric Model, the Sun sign enters Meiktha on April 13.
• Three or four days of Water Festival. Some perform meritorious deeds (e.g. helping the Elderly, observe Eight Precepts).

Myanmar New Year

• Usually falls on April 16 (for three days of Thingyan).
• Often fall on April 17 (for four days of Thingyan).

USA

Taxes

• The deadline for filing taxes in the USA is April 15. If April 15 falls on the weekend, the deadline is moved to the following Monday.
• In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the deadline was moved to July 15.

Sports

• NCAA Basketball Tournament Finals. Tournament starts with 64 – 66 College Teams in March. Four teams make to the “Final Four”. The winner is crowned NCAA Basketball Champion.

Religion

• Occasional : Passover (celebrated by the Jews)
• Occasional : Easter / Resurrection of Jesus Christ (celebrated by Christians)
• Occasional : The Islamic Calendar is purely lunar; so Ramadan falls on different months in the Solar Calendar. In 2020, Ramadan fell in March.
• In 2020, due to “Social Distancing” measures to contain COVID-19, most celebrations were toned down.

General

Name of a Girl / Woman

• April Chit Khin
• April Shan Lone
• April Thein

Relatives

Over the years, we lost three relatives during the Thingyan period.

• U Than Lwin (Eric, uncle)
• Daw Mya Mya (Emerald, cousin)
• Dr. Khin Tun (Peter, son of my cousin U Tin U) on April 13, 2020

On a bright note, there are some birthdays and anniversaries of uncles, aunts and cousins.

Songs & Saying

• April Love (Movie / Song)
• April in Portugal (Song)
• April showers bring May flowers (Saying)
• April Fool (Pranks)

Ngapali Beach

• Wrote a poem about Ngapali Beach. Visited Ngapali three times.One trip was to give a Guest Lecture at the Ngapali Luyechun Camp for university students in the Summer of 1988.

RIT Alumni Newsletter

• Started the “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” in April 1999.
• It was partly responsible for the “First RIT Alumni Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe” (SPZP-2000) in San Francisco in October 2000.

April 2018

69er Gathering in Yangon

There were two Auspicious Celebrations on the 69er monthly breakfast gathering at Royal Rose Restaurant (7 April, 2018)

• Birthday for Mehm Aye Chan (M69)
• 45th Wedding Anniversary for Hla Myint Thein (C69) & Myint Myint Than (C71)

Sad News

• Ko San Linn C69 passed away on 5th April 2018 at Asia Royal Hospital. Funeral services took place on the April 11 am at Hindi Cemetery, Yae Wai. Ko San Linn is GBNF serial 82.

Gathering at iNapa Winery in April 2018

• U Myint Swe (EP74) and Daw San San (EC74) gave us a ride to iNapa Winery to attend the gathering hosted by U Gordon Kaung (M83) and Daw Lillian Kaung (EC83).
• Attendees include U Aung Soe Win (Consul General) & family, U Kai (Myanmar Gazette) & brother; Saya U Maung Maung (George), Saya U Myat Htoo, U Ko Ko Zin, U Aung Myint Oo, U Nyunt Than, U San Lin, U Myo Aung and spouses; Daw Mu Mu Khin & some guests (including historian of Atlas Peak).
• U Aung Soe Win presented a Myanmar Flag. Group photos were taken in front of the flags.
• iNapa Wine presented two bottles of Premium Wine: one for U Aung Soe Win and one for CGLA employees.
• The event was reported in Myanmar Gazette.

2018 Thingyan in the Bay Area

• Ko Yu Ket (Edward Saw, EC85) gave us a ride to the Thingyan Festival at Dhammananda Vihara (Half Moon Bay Monastery). The compound was jam packed. Many cars had to park along Highway 1 (outside the compound). Thanks to EC and BOD of TBSA (Theravada Buddhist Society of America), volunteers & food donors.
• Among the attendees were Saya U Maung Maung (George, ChE66), U Thaung Nyunt (M87), U Walter Tan (M70), U Ko Ko Zin (M84), Ko Sein Myint (EP69)’s daughter and grand daughter.