Sinhala and Tamil New Year

Tourists who visit Sri Lanka during the month of April are rewarded with the bursting merriments and the vibrant colors of the Sinhalese and Tamils celebrating New Year’s. Even though many countries welcome their New Year on the 01st of January, Sri Lanka along with a few other countries follow different calendars with varied New Years.

The Sinhala and Tamil new year celebrations (Aluth Avurudda or Puthandu) starts on the 13th of April and ends on the 14th, when the harvesting season ends and the sun is directly above the island. Based on the sun’s movement from House of Pieces (Meena Rashiya) to the House of Aries (Mesha Rashiya), Sri Lanka welcomes the country’s biggest holiday with loud bursts of firecrackers and Avurudu music and games.

With almost every household following the auspicious calendars and the age old customs and traditions, Sri Lanka displays true authenticity and the whole island gives off the truly Sri Lankan feeling. With the Erabudu trees (Erythrina variegatea) in full blossom and the musical notes of the Koha (cuckoo bird) marking the beginning of a new year, the whole country hopes for continued peace and prosperity.


The Sinhala and Tamil new year customs

The year starts with the period of nonagathe (neutral period) where the people avoid all work and only engage in religious activities, to receive the blessings from their religions from the start of the year. When the period is over and the dawn comes, Lipa gini melaweema or the lighting of the hearth is performed. Here milk rice, a delicious must-have traditional dish on the New Year’s, is made to symbolize prosperity.

Next is ahara anubawaya, when the whole family sits down for the first meal of the New Year. As food plays a main role in Sri Lanka, it is common to see a very full table filled with local delicacies like kavum, kokis, thalaguli, aggala, milk rice, banana, aasmi, aluwa and many other traditional sweets.

The rituals are then continued with starting work and exchanging money among family members and anointing oil as a sign of blessings for good health and healing.


Avurudu music and games


The April month never misses the beat of the Rabana, a huge drum played mainly by elderly women. Along with folk songs and dancing, the Rabana has a very important place in the Avurudu celebrations.
It is a very common and a joyous sight to see all the villagers getting together to indulge in New Year games. Ranging from traditional board games like Olinda Keliya and Pancha Demima to more lively games like Pillow-fight (Kotta Pora), Tug-o-War (Kamba Adeema), Breaking the pots (Kanamutti bindeema), Climbing the greasy pole (Lissana gaga nageema), Placing the eye of the elephant (Aliyata Asia thabeema) and Eating buns (Banis kema);Avurudu music and games are enjoyed immensely among both the old and young.





Written By: Kavisha Perera