DECEMBER is here again. Most months have at least one significant day but in December, two days are celebrated across the globe – Christmas and New Year.
It’s not just churches and cathedrals that are busy at this time. Christmas has, in many countries, become a secular holiday for non-Christians.
This is true in Myanmar, where more and more predominantly-Buddhist people participate in celebrating both of these occasions.
It is common to hear many people shout “Happy New Year” in jubilation as the clock strikes midnight on December 31.
In Mandalay, several hotels are hosting parties with food and entertainment to help you celebrate both Christmas and New Year.
Hotel Mandalay, on 78th street, has already held their New Year celebrations with the “Welcome 2009” party on December 6. Singers Thar Soe and Chan Chan entertained the crowd and there was also a free fashion show by Tin Moe Lwin and 50 models. Many celebrities attended, including Moe Yu San, Aye Myat Thu and Rebecca Win.
Silver Swan Hotel will be holding a Christmas Day party, according to Silver Swan’s U Hla Htun.
“For Christmas, we will decorate the inside of the hotel with a Christmas tree and Christmas carols will be performed in front of every room on Christmas Eve. We are also arranging a party with entertainment on Christmas Day like last year,” he said.
The Rupar Mandalar Hotel, on the corner of 30th and 53rd streets, has organised some interesting parties for the festive period. On Christmas Eve the hotel will host a buffet dinner party, priced at US$30, with puppet shows and Myanmar traditional dancing. On December 31, the hotel will hold a free dance party with DJ. Food will be sold at the event.
Marketing assistant of Mandalay Swan Hotel, Ma Wai Mon Lay Myint, said: “On New Year’s Eve guests will be able to enjoy a buffet dinner with sweet music, a puppet show, magic show and chinlone demonstration.”
The dinner and entertainment will be free for guests, while non-guests can purchase tickets (price not yet set).
The hottest tickets in town on New Year’s Eve will surely be for Mandalay Hill Resort, where music stars Phyu Phyu Kyaw Thein and Sai Sai Kham Hlaing will perform and guests can enjoy a buffet dinner. The price has not yet been set.
Christmas decorations, both inside and outside, are already up at Sedona Hotel, which will host a dinner on Christmas Eve.
They also have an Egyptian-inspired “Mummy Night” planned for New Year’s Eve, said Ma Win Lei, Sedona’s marketing coordinator.
“We thought it would be more interesting if we decorated the hotel with mummies and pyramids like in Egypt. The hotel staff will also dress like Egyptians and mummies. For entertainment, we’ve invited Lazy Club, Chit Kaung, Han Htun, Zaw Paing, Blueberry and Rebecca Win,” she said.
Tickets bought before December 20 will cost K55,000 for adults and K30,000 for children. After December 20, the adult ticket price will rise to K60,000.
