Burma / Myanmar: Brightly adorned oxen used for pulling the carts with the princesses (young...

Shinbyu is the Burmese term for a novitiation ceremony (pabbajja) in the tradition of Theravada Buddhism, referring to the celebrations marking the samanera ordination of a boy under the age of 20. Allowing a son to spend some time however short it may be, in a Buddhist monastery is regarded by most Buddhists as the best religious gift that his parents can give him and it is believed to have a lasting effect on his life. At the same time as the boy's Shinbyu ceremony, young girls will be attending their own ceremony, Na Htwin or the ear-piercing rite.