Water is the symbol of purification and rebirth, and in the Thai Songkran and Burmese (Myanmar) Thingyan festivals, water brings in the new year. Lai Chow, president of One Myanmar Community (OMC) shares, “In our new year, what’s traditionally been done is to wash away the previous year, any dirt, anything you don’t want, so you’re ready for the new year.”
OMC promotes the welfare of people of Burmese ancestry in the Bay Area. They will hold their 2025 Thingyan at Newark Pavilion on Monday, May 26, coinciding with Memorial Day.
Kids can have fun with the designated water throwing area with a sprinkler running, although, depending on weather, the morning might be too chilly for water activity. A more sedate water-related custom is washing hair or feet to honor elders.
Traditional performances are a big part of the festival, with dance groups, and live bands and singers accompanying the dancers. This year, the festival will combine cultures, with Vietnamese and Thai groups joining. (Unfortunately, Vietnam doesn’t have a water festival.)
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders from surrounding cities are planning to come as well, including Claudine Cheng, the head of APA Heritage Foundation in San Francisco.
No festival is complete without food, and OMC is planning to include a variety of Burmese cuisine. A favorite is mont lone yay baw, a sticky rice ball with a piece of sugar inside and shredded coconut sprinkled on top.
Sponsorships from Thingyan help keep the community center going throughout the year, covering rent and supporting dance, Burmese language and citizenship classes. OMC would also like to bring back kids’ summer camps, which they haven’t been able to hold since Covid.
The festival will also include a booth where people can donate to disaster relief. On March 28, 2025, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake took over 5,000 lives in Myanmar (plus over a hundred in nearby Thailand), leaving many more injured. The political climate—after effects of the 2021 military coup—has also hindered efforts to lend aid to earthquake victims. The government tends to scrutinize supply trucks moving from one area to another. Chow shared that some aid workers travel at night, which is less risky.
Lai Chow shared that most of his family had already immigrated to the U.S., but he still has friends in Myanmar who were hospitalized or lost loved ones. So far, OMC has collected about $70,000 in aid. At this stage, fundraising has shifted to aiding harder-to-reach areas and to rebuilding—providing temporary shelters and toilet facilities, and rebuilding wells.
Fun, community and renewal are needed in 2025, and always.
Thingyan Water Festival
Monday, May 26
10am-3pm
Newark Pavilion
6430 Thornton Ave., Newark
