RELIGION & BELIEF343Christianity
The CIA World Fact Book says 4% of Myanmar's population are Chris-
tians. Anglican, Baptist and Catholic missionaries have been active in
Myanmar for over 150 years. Going even further back there were commu-
nities of Christians among the Japanese who fl ed to Arakan (Rakhaing
State) in the 16th century and the Portuguese Catholics (and later Dutch
and French mercenaries and prisoners of war) who arrived in the early
17 th century.
Ethnic groups that traditionally practised animism have proved more
receptive to conversion to Christianity, especially the Kayin, Kachin and
Chin.
Other Religions
Among the other religions encountered in Myanmar are Hinduism, prac-
ticed among locals of Indian descent, the various traditional religions of
Chinese immigrants down the ages, and animism among the small tribal
groups of the highlands.
The Jewish community in pre-WWII Rangoon numbered around 2500
and the city once had a Jewish mayor (as did Pathein). Burma was also
the fi rst Asian country to recognise Israel in 1949. However the military
coup and its aftermath encouraged most to leave, and today Yangon has
only about 25 Jews. Even so the city’s 19th-century Moseah Yeshua Syna-
gogue (p 42 ) is beautifully maintained.
THE WATER FESTIVALOccurring at the height of the dry and hot season, around the middle of April, the three-
day Thingyan (Water Festival) starts the Myanmar New Year. As in Thailand’s Songkran,
the event is celebrated in a most raucous manner – by throwing buckets of cold water at
anyone who dares to venture into the streets. Foreigners are not exempt!
On a spiritual level, Myanmar people believe that during this three-day period the
king of the nat (spirit beings), Thagyamin, visits the human world to tally his annual
record of the good deeds and misdeeds humans have performed. Villagers place fl owers
and sacred leaves in front of their homes to welcome the nat. Thagyamin’s departure
on the morning of the third day marks the beginning of the new year, when properly
brought-up young people wash the hair of their elder kin, buddha images are ceremoni-
ally washed, and hpongyi (monks) are off ered particularly appetising alms food.
Although the true meaning of the festival is still kept alive by ceremonies such as
these, nowadays it’s mainly a festival of fun. In cities, temporary stages called pandal
(from the Tamil pendel) are erected along main thoroughfares, with water barrels ready
to douse all passersby; for more on the Thingyan see p 11.Officially Myan-
mar is 1% ani-
mist, 1.5% Hindu,
4% Christian and
4% Muslim; oth-
ers believe that
non-Buddhists
may account
for 30% of the
population.