September 2Shinbyu is a Burmese Buddhist initiation ceremony for boys. According to traditional beliefs held by many Buddhists, every person should enter a monastery for a time in order to deepen their understanding of the Buddhist religion. This is what the Shinbyu ceremony is about. Parents dress their sons in robes and fancy headdresses that resemble the costume that the Buddha wore before he renounced his life as a prince. The boys ride white horses through the streets in parade and enjoy a sumptuous banquet provided by their parents. Afterwards the boys go to the temple, where their heads are shaved and they enter into the monastic life for a period of time that typically lasts from three days to three months.
SOURCES:
BkHolWrld-1986, Sep 2
RelHolCal-2004, p. 221