Bamar people
The Bamar are a Southeast Asian ethnic group and nation native to Myanmar where they are the dominant group. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy River basin and speak the Burmese language, which is the sole official language of Myanmar at a national level. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with the broader Burmese culture.
Origins
The Bamar speak Burmese, a Sino-Tibetan language. The Burmese-speaking people first migrated from present-day Yunnan, China to the Irrawaddy valley in the 7th century. Over the following centuries, the Burmese speakers absorbed other ethnic groups such as the Pyu and the Mon. A 2014 DNA analysis shows that Burmese people were "typical Southeast Asian" but "also with Northeast Asian and Indian influences"; and that the gene pool of the Bamar was far more diverse than other ethnic groups such as the Karen. They are closer to the Yi and Mon people than to the Karen.Ninth century Chinese sources indicate that Sino-Tibetan speaking tribes were present near today's Irrawaddy River. These tribes were considered ancestors of Bamar people.
Languages
, is spoken by the Bamar but is also widely spoken by ethnic minorities. Its core vocabulary consists of Sino-Tibetan words, but many terms associated with Buddhism, arts, sciences, and government have derived from the Indo-European languages of Pali and English.The Rakhine, although culturally distinct from the Bamar, are ethnically related and speak a dialect of Burmese that includes retention of the sound, which has coalesced into the sound in standard Burmese.
Additional dialects come from coastal areas of Tanintharyi Region including Myeik and Dawei as well as inland and isolated areas like Yaw.
Other dialects are Taungyoe, Danu, and Intha in Shan State.
English was introduced in the 1800s when the Bamar first came into contact with the British as a trading nation and continued to flourish under subsequent colonial rule.
Distribution
The Bamar are most numerous in Myanmar, constituting the majority ethnic group at around 32 million.The Burmese diaspora, which is a recent phenomenon in historical terms and began at the start of World War II, has been mainly brought about by a protracted period of military rule and reflects the ethnic diversity of Myanmar. Many have settled in Europe, particularly in Great Britain.
Following Myanmar's Independence many began moving to the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Malaysia, Singapore, mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan.
Culture and society
Bamar culture has been influenced by those of neighboring countries. This is manifested in its language, cuisine, music, dance and theatre. The arts, particularly literature, have historically been influenced by the local form of the animistic religion and Theravada Buddhism. In a traditional village, the monastery is the centre of cultural life. Monks are venerated and supported by the lay people. Rites of passage are also of cultural importance to the Bamar. These include shinbyu, a novitiate ceremony for Buddhist boys, and nar tha, an ear-piercing ceremony for girls. Burmese culture is most evident in villages where local festivals are held throughout the year, the most important being the pagoda festival. Many villages have a guardian nat, and superstition and taboos are commonplace.Traditional dress
The Bamar traditionally wore sarongs. Women wear a type of sarong known as htamain, while men wear a sarong sewn into a tube, called a longyi, or, more formally, a single long piece wrapped around the hips, known in Burmese as a paso. Formal attire often consists of gold jewelry, silk scarves, and jackets. On formal occasions, men often wear cloth turbans called gaung baung and Mandarin collared jackets called taikpon, while women wear blouses.Both genders wear velvet sandals called gadiba phanat, although leather, rubber and plastic sandals are also worn. In cities and urban areas, Western dress, including T-shirts, jeans and sports shoes or trainers, has become popular, especially among the younger generation. Talismanic tattoos, earrings, and long hair tied in a knot were once common among Bamar men, but have ceased to be fashionable since after World War II; men in shorts and sporting ponytails, as well as both sexes with bleached hair, have made their appearance in Yangon and Mandalay more recently, especially in the anything-goes atmosphere of the Burmese New Year holiday known as Thingyan.
Bamar people of both sexes and all ages also wear thanaka, especially on their faces, although the practice is largely confined to women, children and young, unmarried men. Western makeup and cosmetics have long enjoyed a popularity in urban areas. However, thanaka is not exclusively worn by the Bamar, as many other ethnic groups throughout Burma utilize this cosmetic.
Cuisine
contains many regional elements, such as stir frying techniques and curries which can be hot but lightly spiced otherwise, almost always with fish paste as well as onions, garlic, ginger, dried chili and turmeric. Rice is the staple, although noodles, salads, and breads are also eaten. Green tea is often the beverage of choice, but tea is also traditionally pickled and eaten as a salad called lahpet. The best-known dish of Bamar origin is mohinga, rice noodles in a fish broth. It is available in most parts of the region, also considered as the national dish of Myanmar. Dishes from other ethnic minorities such as the Shan, Chinese, and Indian, are also consumed.Music
Traditional music of Myanmar consists of an orchestra mainly of percussion and wind instruments but the saung gauk, a boat-shaped harp, is often symbolic of the Bamar. Other traditional instruments include pattala, walatkhok, lagwin, and hsaingwaing. Traditional Bamar dancing is similar to Thai dancing. Puppetry is also a popular form of entertainment and is often performed at pwés, which is a generic term for shows, celebrations and festivals. In urban areas, movies from both Bollywood and Hollywood have long been popular, but more recently Korean and Chinese films, especially DVDs, have become increasingly popular.Festivals
Buddhist festivals and holidays are widely celebrated by the Bamar people. Thingyan, the Water Festival, which marks the beginning of the Burmese New Year in April, is one such example. Thadingyut, which marks the end of the Buddhist lent, is celebrated with the Festival of Lights in October. Kathina or robe offering ceremony for monks is held at the start of Lent in July and again in November.Religion
The majority of the Bamar follow a syncretism of the native Burmese folk religion and Theravada Buddhism. People are expected to keep the basic five precepts and practise dāna "charity", sīla "Buddhist ethics" and vipassanā "meditation". Most villages have a monastery and often a stupa maintained and supported by the villagers. Annual pagoda festivals usually fall on a full moon, and robe offering ceremonies for bhikkhus are held both at the beginning and after the Vassa. This coincides with the monsoons, during which the uposatha is generally observed once a week.Children were educated by monks before secular state schools came into being. A shinbyu ceremony by which young boys become novice monks for a short period is considered the most important duty of Buddhist parents. Christian missionaries had made little impact on the Bamar despite the popularity of missionary schools in cities.
The Bamar practise Buddhism along with Nat worship which predated Buddhism. It involves rituals relating to a pantheon of 37 Nats or spirits designated by King Anawrahta, although many minor nats are also worshipped. In villages, many houses have outdoors altars to honor nats, called nat ein, in addition to one outside the village known as nat sin often under a bo tree. Indoors in many households, one may find a coconut called nat oun up the main post for the Eindwin Min Mahagiri, considered one of the most important of the Nats.
The term "Bamar" is sometimes used to refer to both the practice of Buddhism as well as the ethnic identity. Bamar Muslims, however, practice Islam and claim ethnic Bamar heritage and culture in all matters other than religion.
Naming
In the past, the Bamar typically had shorter names, usually limited to one or two syllables. However, the trend of adopting longer names has become popular. Bamar names also frequently make use of Pali-derived loan words. Bamar people typically use the day of birth as the basis for naming, although this practice is not universal. Letters from groups within the Burmese alphabet are designated to certain days, from which the Bamar choose names.They are chosen as follows:
| Day | Letters |
| Monday | , , , , |
| Tuesday | , , , , |
| Wednesday | , |
| Yahu | , |
| Thursday | , , , , |
| Friday | , |
| Saturday | , , , , |
| Sunday |