Category: Calendar

by Hla Min

Updated : October 2026

Background

• 2nd month of Gregorian Calendar
• Shortest month. It has 28 days in a Common Year and 29 days in a Leap Year.

Burma/Myanmar

February 12

• Pyidaungsu Nay (ပြည်ထောင်စုနေ့ Union Day) is a public holiday in the Union of Burma. It commemorates the signing of the Pinlong Sar Choke (ပင်လုံစာချုပ် Panglong Agreement) on February 12, 1947.

• Wrote a poem “Our Unity” with the pen name Maung Hlaing Phyo for publication in the Working People’s Daily. Received K15 for the poem.

February 13

• Bogyoke Aung San was born on February 13, 1915.
• Zartar name : Htain Lin
• Changed name to rhyme with that of Aung Than (his elder brother).
• Centennial celebrations for Bogyoke were held in 2015.

• February 13 is also as Khalay Myar Nay (Children’s Day).

Tabodwe Festival

The Full Moon of Tabodwe often falls in February.
Two celebrations are held.

• Htamane Pwe (ထမနဲပွဲ Sticky Rice Festival)
• Ovada Partimauk Day (ဩဝါဒပါတိမောက်Exhortation)

USA

February 14

• Valentine’s Day (Chit Thu Myar Nay ချစ်သူများနေ့) is not a public holiday
• Many people send greeting cards and presents.

Presidents’ Day

• In the early days, there were two holidays. One to celebrate George Washington’s birthday.
  Another to celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday.
• Later a single holiday in February to honor all US Presidents was proposed.
• Some states continue to celebrate the birthdays of Washington and Lincoln.

Canada

• “Family Day” (holiday) is observed on the 2nd Monday of February in Ontario.
• Family Day is observed on the 3rd Monday of February in British Columbia.

Lunar New Year

• Some countries (including China and Vietnam) observe the Lunar Year.
• Lunar Calendar is based on the Chinese Zodiac consisting of Twelve signs staring with Rat and ending with Pig.
• Lunar New Year occurs at the end of January or the beginning of February. The date is not fixed in the Gregorian Calendar.

Our Unity (Poem)

• My poem was published in WPD (Working People’s Daily)
• I composed the poem for “Union Day”
• Mg Hlaing Phyo is one of my pen names

by Hla Min

Updated : October 2026

Some holidays

• have fixed date
• have relative dates
• are designated as Public holidays
• are religious

January

• Jan 1 : New Year’s Day
• Jan 4 : Independence Day in Myanmar
• Martin Luther King’s Day in US
• Occasionally : Lunar New Year

February

• Feb 12 : Union Day
• Feb 13 : Children’s Day (Bogyoke Aung San’s birthday)
• Feb 14 : Valentine’s Day
• US Presidents’ Day
• Occasionally : Lunar New Year
• Occasionally : Full Moon Day of Tabodwe — Htamane Pwe & [Buddha’s] Exhortation Day

March

• Mar 2 : Peasant’s Day was moved from Jan 1 in order to celebrate the Coup D’eat
• Phone Maw Day
• Burma’s Human Rights Day (celebrated by Berkeley)
• Mar 27 : Resistance Day was renamed as Armed Forces Day
• First Day of Spring : Persian New Year

April

• Thingyan : Three or four days of Water Festival
• Myanmar New Year

May

• May 1 : May Day in some countries
• May 5 : Cinco de Mayo
• Mother’s Day in the US

June

• Jun 6 : D Day
• Jun 6 : Ah Loke Thamar Ah Yay Ah Khinn
• Father’s Day in the US

July

• Jul 4 : Independence Day in the US
• Jul 7 : Students’ protest that was brutally crushed
• Jul 8 : Demolition of the Rangoon University Student’s Union
• Jul 19 : Arzani Nay
• Apollo 11 landed in Tranquility Bay on the Moon in July 1969
• My poem “Men on the Moon” was sent to NASA via USIS. A copy was published in the Guardian.

August

• 8-8-88 : start of a long struggle to restore Democracy in Myanmar
• Several birthdays in my extended family

September

• Crushing the hopes of Multi-party Democracy
• Occasionally : End of Burmese Buddhist Lent

October

• Occasionally : End of Burmese Buddhist Lent (Thadinkyut)
• “Deepavali” or “Diwali” celebrations are also celebrated around October. It is known as the “Festival of Lights”.
• “Halloween” occurs every year on October 31 with “Trick or
• Treat” by the children and [optional] “Halloween Costume Party” by young and old adults.

November

• Elections in the US (Local races & Resolutions every year, House of Representatives every two years, One third of Senators every two years, President every four years)
• Nov 22 : JFK assassinated (Conspiracy Theory survives)
• Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the US

December

• U Thant Ah Yay Ah Khinn : dark day in the history of Burma
• Apollo 8 orbited the Moon in December 1968
• Dec 25 : Christmas
• Dec 31 : New Year’s Eve

Grapevine says that some holy days are preceded by some “fun events”.

• Halloween (October 31) precedes “All Saints Day” (November 1).
• Similarly, “Mardi Gras” (“Fat Tuesday”) falls on the day before “Ash Wednesday” signifying the start of the Lent.

by Hla Min

Updated : September 2026

• A solar calendar is based on the orbit of the earth around the sun. Typically, it takes 365.2422 solar days to complete the orbit. A leap year attempts to adjust the calendar by adding an extra day every four years.
• A lunar calendar is based on the orbit of the moon around the earth. Typically, it takes 29.6 days to complete a cycle.
• A luni-solar calendar is a “hybrid” calendar that uses “lunar” month and “solar” year. The calendars used by Chinese and Vietnamese have 12 months in a year and an extra month in the year in which the Lunar and Solar Calendars are synchronized.
  The CNY (Chinese New Year) and Tet (Vietnamese New Year) occur in late January or early February.
• Julian Calendar
  Leap year : if a year is divisible by 4
• Gregorian Calendar
  Leap year :
  if a Century year is divisible by 400
  Other years if divisible by 4
• Burmese Calendar
  The Burmese use a Luni-Solar-Socio-Religious Calendar.
  It is used for social and religious events.
  There are 12 lunar months with a total of 355 days in a Common Burmese Year.
  There is a difference of 10 days with a Common Year in the Gregorian Calendar.
  An inter-calary month named “Second Waso” is usually added every three years to sync again with the Solar Calendar.
  It is known as “Wah Htutt”.
  If needed, an additional day is added in “Wah Gyi Htutt”.
• Civil Calendar
• Academic Calendar
• Appointment Calendar
  

by Hla Min

Updated : September 2026

Background

• It is the first month of the Gregorian Calendar.
• It is named after Janus, two-faced God to symbolizetwo tasks : bid farewell to the old year and usher in the new year
• It has 31 days.

Events

January 1

• New Year’s Day (Start of the New Year). For most people, it is a holiday. In most parts of the world, New Year’s Eve is celebrated on 31st December.
• Annual Soon Kyway at Panditarama (Shwe Taung Gone) by Ye Than (Winner Inn)

• Peasant’s Day in the Union of Burma. It was a holiday. It was moved to 2nd March by the Revolutionary Council.
• Sometimes : Lunar (Chinese) New Year
• Sometimes : Sar So Daw Nay

January 4

• Burma gained Independence on January 4, 1948 at 4:20AM
• Grapevine : Burma was given a choice: “January 4th or January 6th”
• In Lighter Vein : A British Official said, “We would have to get up early once on January 4, 1948. The Burmese will have to get up early January 4th of the following years.”
• Unsolved Mystery : Who chose 4:20AM? Why?

Third Monday in USA

• Martin Luther King’s Day

Birthdays

• Saya U Than Lwin (Eric Lwin, my cousin uncle, GBNF) celebrated his birthday on January 1st.

• Dr. Khin Kyi Nyunt (Cherry Tin Gyi, GBNF) and her elder Dr. Khin Tun (Peter Tin U, GBNF) celebrated their birthdays together on or around January 12. They offer requisites to the monks at Chan Myei Yeik Tha.

Independence Day Regatta at Kandawgyi in 1948

U Tin U, Dr. Pe Nyun (Dick San Pe), Dr. Pe Thein (Tom San Pe) and Bobby Tin rowed for RUBC against the Burmese Laung at the Independence Day Regatta.

by Hla Min

Updated : September 2026

Background

• Second month of Gregorian Calendar
• Shortest Month
• 28 days for Common Year
• 29 days for Leap Year
• Believed to have 30 days. One day each was given to July (named after Julia’s Caesar) and August (named after Augustus Caesar)

Birthdays

• My mother
• My elder brother
• My grand son
• Bogyoke Aung San
• My paternal uncle
• Dr. Khin Maung U
• Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint

Celebrations

• Pyidaungsu Nay (Union Day)
  Signing of Pin Lon Agreement
• Kha Lay Myar Nay (Children’s Day) —Birthday of Bogyoke Aung San
• Presidents’ Day (US)
  Georgia Washington; Abraham Lincoln …
• Valentine’s Day
• Super Bowl
  American Football Championship
• Some years
  Lunar New Year
  Htamane Pwe
  Ovada Partimauk

by Hla Min

Update : September 2026

Background

• Fifth month in the old Roman Calendar, and it had 30 days. The month was given an extra day and renamed in honor of Julius Caesar.
• Seventh month in the Gregorian Calendar.

My father’s birthday

• Born on 1st July.
• Passed away in his 80s.

Men on the Moon

• Apollo 11 Mission
• Eagle (Lunar Module) landed in Tranquility Bay on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
• Neil Armstrong (Mission Commander) was the first to land on the moon.
• Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin (Lunar Module Pilot) was the second to land on the moon.
• Michael Collins (Command Module Pilot) circled the Moon and waited for his crew mates to return from the Moon.
• I wrote a poem “Men on the Moon”. A copy was sent by Mr. Hall (Information Officer, USIA) to NASA. The poem was published in the Guardian.
  

US Independence

• 4th of July

Martyrs’ Day

• July 19, 1947
• Bogyoke Aung San, six ministers, a Secretary and a bodyguard were assassinated.

Nine Arzanis were gunned down on July 19, 1947. Eight perished that day. One succumbed a day later.

• Bogyoke Aung San passed away at the tender age of 32
  Children : U Aung San Oo, Aung San Lin (GBNF), Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
• Thakin Mya. : Considered as Deputy Prime Minister
• Deedoke U Ba Cho : Minister, Journalist ; Grand children : Dr. Khin Hla Cho, Daw Khin Myint Cho
• Mahn Ba Khaing : Transported Bogyoke (saved & brought by Marie Hla Taw) back; Daughter : Sayama Daw Myint Myint Khaing
• Mong Pawn Sawbwa Sao San Htun : passed away in the hospital on July 20, 1947; has a hospital named after him; Son Sao Hso Holm
• U Ba Win : Bogyoke’s elder brother; Son Dr. Sein Win
• U Razak : Nominated by monks; Former Principal of National School; Sons U Tin Myint & U Hla Kyi
• ICS U Ohn Maung : Dy. Secy; Was asked to report on behalf of his minister; Sons U Tin Maung Thein, Francis & Dr. Min Min
• Yebaw Maung Htwe : U Razak’s bodyguard

There are books (e.g. “Who killed Aung San?”, Eliminate the Elite” by Kin Oung) and documentaries (e.g. “Who really killed Aung San?” by BBC program) about the fateful event.

Dark days in July 1962

• According to the newspapers, 17 died on July 7, 1962.
• Ko Aung Khin was stuck by a stray bullet as he was returning from RUBC to his home in Windermere Road. He was listed as the 17th victim.
• Anniversary celebration of 7th July in 1963 ended with the closure of Universities with the exception of the Faculties of Medical and Engineering.

• The revered Student Union was demolished on July 8, 1962.

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