Burmese (Myanmar Era)

Burmese Date Today

Q: What is Thingyan?

Thingyan (သင်္ကြန်) is the Burmese New Year, celebrated 13–16 April with elaborate water-throwing festivities. The name comes from Sanskrit saṃkrānti ("transition") — referring to the sun's passage from Pisces into Aries. It marks the start of the new Myanmar year and falls during the hottest part of the dry season; the water-throwing is both celebratory and a practical cooling-off.

As of Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 11:31 PM, today's Burmese (Myanmar Era) date is:

Burmese Year 1388 ME, Nayon (waxing)

၁၃၈၈ ခုနှစ်

Taninla Nei (Moon Day — Monday) Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Today's Burmese (Myanmar Era) date — full detail

Date: Burmese Year 1388 ME, Nayon (waxing)
Burmese: ၁၃၈၈ ခုနှစ်
Short form: ME 1388
Year: 2026 ME — Myanmar Era (Kawza Thekkayit)
Weekday: Taninla Nei (Moon Day — Monday)
Gregorian: Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Current year: Myanmar Era 1388 (ME 1388)
Year conversion: Gregorian − 638 = approximate ME year
New Year: Thingyan water festival — mid-April
Leap-year types: Ordinary leap (1 extra month) and great leap (1 extra month + 1 extra day)
Twelve months: Tagu, Kason, Nayon, Waso, Wagaung, Tawthalin, Thadingyut, Tazaungmon, Nadaw, Pyatho, Tabodwe, Tabaung

Why today matters

Today is in Nayon (ၐွန်) in Burmese Year 1388 ME — the pre-monsoon hot season known as nway-yathi. The Burmese lunisolar calendar is one of the most mathematically refined timekeeping systems in continuous use: it uses a sophisticated Metonic-like 19-year cycle with detailed leap rules that produce an average year length matching the tropical year to within minutes. Buddhist observance days (uposatha), the rice planting calendar of rural Myanmar, and astrological consultations for wedding dates, business openings, and infant naming ceremonies all follow this calendar.

"The Myanmar calendar was already mathematically refined in 638 CE — a century before the Gregorian reform would be conceived." — Burmese astronomical tradition

How we compute this

Burmese (Myanmar Era) is a lunisolar calendar. Each year contains 354 days (common); 384 days (leap with intercalary month Waso); 385 days (full leap with both intercalary month and intercalary day), with each month averaging 29 days (waning months) or 30 days (waxing months), aligned to the moon. Years are counted from 22 March 638 CE — accession of King Popa Sawrahan of the Sri Ksetra kingdom (era: ME — Myanmar Era (Kawza Thekkayit)).

The Myanmar calendar (မြန်မာသက္ကရာဇ်, Myanma Thekkayit) was instituted in 638 CE by King Popa Sawrahan of the Sri Ksetra kingdom (modern-day Pyay, Myanmar), reforming the earlier Saka era used in Indianized Southeast Asia. The system uses an extremely accurate lunisolar algorithm with two types of leap year: ordinary leap years insert an intercalary month Waso (Second Waso), and "great leap years" additionally insert an intercalary day in Nayon. The leap-year pattern follows a complex but deterministic cycle. The calendar was adopted across Theravāda Southeast Asia and influenced the calendars of Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. After Burmese independence in 1948, the country used both Myanmar Era and Gregorian dates; today the Gregorian calendar dominates civil life, but the Myanmar Era remains essential for Buddhist religious observance, astrology, and rural agricultural planning.

Used by: ~55 million Burmese; used by the Buddhist sangha across Myanmar. Regions: Myanmar (Burma) — traditional, astrological, religious, and rural use; Gregorian for civil business.

Frequently asked

What is the Burmese date today?

Today's Burmese year is 1388 ME (Myanmar Era). The Gregorian equivalent is May 19, 2026.

How do I convert Gregorian to the Myanmar Era?

Approximately: subtract 638 from the Gregorian year. However, because the Myanmar New Year falls in mid-April rather than 1 January, the exact ME year for a given Gregorian date depends on whether it falls before or after Thingyan that year.

Is the Myanmar calendar lunar or solar?

Lunisolar — months track the moon (starting on the new moon, with 29 or 30 days), and intercalary months are inserted in a 19-year Metonic cycle to keep the calendar aligned with the solar year. The Burmese system is widely considered one of the most mathematically accurate lunisolar calendars in continuous use.

What is Thingyan?

Thingyan (သင်္ကြန်) is the Burmese New Year, celebrated 13–16 April with elaborate water-throwing festivities. The name comes from Sanskrit saṃkrānti ("transition") — referring to the sun's passage from Pisces into Aries. It marks the start of the new Myanmar year and falls during the hottest part of the dry season; the water-throwing is both celebratory and a practical cooling-off.

Are there waxing and waning days?

Yes — each Burmese month is divided into the waxing fortnight (လဆန်း, la-san, days 1–15 leading up to the full moon) and the waning fortnight (လဆုတ်, la-sote, days 1–14 or 1–15 after the full moon, leading to the new moon). Full moon and new moon days are particularly auspicious for Buddhist observance.

Is the Myanmar calendar still in use?

For traditional, religious, and astrological purposes — yes, universally. For civil and business purposes — the Gregorian calendar dominates Myanmar today. Most Burmese consult both systems: Gregorian for appointments and bills, Myanmar Era for religious observance (uposatha days, kathina), wedding-date astrology, infant naming ceremonies, and rural agricultural timing.