Harry Redgen's experience in Burma 1914-1916, item 92

• November 27, 2016 19:31:28 Sue Bryant

  Fri Mar 5 1915

   

  Today I have witnessed one of the strangest

  & quaintest sights I have ever witnessed.

  To Day is what is called Bhudda’s

  Birthday which is something after the

  style of our Christmas.  The Natives here on

  this day hold any privilidge they like except of

  course to kill & they go as near to that as they

  dare. It does not matter what they do otherwise

  they are not stopped on this day. They start i

  the early morning drinking & singing in there

  own way & at the best it is a very strange &

  mournful noise.  They still seem to collect in

  groups in all kinds of places & Dance & sing

  bang Drum & ring bells at the same time

  throughing various coloured powders over one

  another. As they begin at early morning the

  majority of the natives dressed in white it

  is easy to guess what they look like in a

  few hours. They all look like so many

  rainbows. It does not matter weather

  they know each other or not, on this day

  
  

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