Sinhala & Tamil New Year Festival- April 13th & 14th
When the sun moves from Pisces to Aries, the Sinhalese Buddhist and
Tamil Hindus in Sri Lanka join forces to celebrate Aluth Avurudda –
their mutual new year.
This is also coincides with the time when the harvest ends, so the
colorful fruit from the trees is collected in bulk to fuel the week long
celebrations. Festivities are prepared well in advance and most of the
country grinds to a halt as hundreds travel home to be with their
families and stores close down in their wake – it can be impossible to
track down the simplest of things just before it all starts.
The rituals begin with the cleaning of the house and lighting of an oil
lamp, and woman congregate to bash on the raban (drum) to warn others
of the incipient change in the year. If you fail to hear this, a storm,
firecrackers is bound to hammer the point home. Families indulge in a
variety of rituals which are carefully determined by astrological
calculations-from lighting the fire to making the kiri bath (milk rice)
bath, to entering into the first business transaction and eating the
first morsels.
Once these are done, the partying really begins as families mingle in
the streets, homes are thrown open and children are left out to play.
The ubiquitous planting is dished out alongside celebratory feasts of
kaung (small oil cake) and kokis (small and light sweetmeat, originally
from Netherlands).
Aluth Auvrudda has become an important national holidays for both the
cultures of the Sinhalese Buddhists and the Tamil Hindu Sri Lankans, and
is unique as such , as it is not celebrated elsewhere in the world.
If you are planning to visit Sri Lanka during this time of the year,
please speak to your accommodation provider/ tour guide to see any
events around. You will be able to participate in traditional Sinhala
games and experience the essence of Sri Lanka.
