It is New Year here in Sri Lanka and I’ve been very curious about the big day(s) here and how they celebrate, so I’ve been randomly asking Sri Lankan people I know about what they do to learn more about the festivities and how we as westerns can participate or at least learn from participating. Here’s is what I’ve learned.
Sri Lankan New Year, also known as "Aluth Avurudu" in Sinhala, is a significant cultural and religious festival celebrated in Sri Lanka. It falls on April 13th or 14th each year, depending on astrological calculations. Sri Lankan New year is in its essense a time for joy, renewal, and community bonding, where people/families come together to celebrate their culture, traditions, and the promise of a prosperous year ahead. The actual new year spans over several days - the day before new year: ‘nonagathe’ aka. the transition period and the dawn of the New Year. Our friend Isanga told us that the Sri Lankans mainly cook and eat together and the preparations for the New Year typically begin weeks in advance, with people cleaning and decorating their homes, shopping for new clothes, and preparing special foods. I’ve noticed the shopping has been full on with many more stalls of clothes popping up. Also, random little homes are suddenly selling clothes in their front garden. Additionally, Isanga told us that everyone prepares traditional sweetmeats such as "kokis" (crispy deep-fried rice flour cookies), "kavum" (oil cakes made from rice flour and treacle), and "athirasa" (sweet rice cakes) are prepared in households across the country. He will bring us some over the New Years so I will let you know how they taste.
However, what I find interesting is how New Years is divided in two - making room for reflection.
Nonagathe: The period, which lasts for a few hours leading up to the New Year and which is considered an inauspicious time when people avoid work and engage in religious activities or spend time with family. It is believed that during this time, the old year departs, and the new year is awaited.
Dawn of the New Year: The New Year is welcomed with the first sight of the New Moon. Normally, I’m told - this is in the morning time, but this new year it’s around 11pm and usually people have to fast prior to and only once the auspicious time arrives, does the families gather around to engage in rituals such as lighting the hearth, boiling milk in a new clay pot, and preparing a traditional meal. The first meal of the New Year, known as the "Kiribath" (milk rice), is cooked and shared among family members.
What I find interesting is that throughout the New Year festivities, various traditional games and rituals are also observed, including "Avurudu Kumara" (traditional games for children), "Kotta Pora" (pillow fighting - so cute!), and "Kana Mutti Bindeema" (breaking the pot blindfolded). In my childrens school they also played a lot of games. One of the games was about having ro eat a bun on a string without using ones hands. I was sent a video of Skylar desperately trying to get the bun in her mouth - not so easy! Another game they played reminded me of the popular Danish game where we blindfolded have to draw a tail on a pig. In Skylar’s class the kids had to draw an eye on the elephant (See picture). She came back after that day and said it was the most fun day in her life. What a joy to gather people in that way - doing childish games for fun and laughter. A bit of a difference than from the western - let’s get hammered and stay up all night.
A few other observations I’ve done after talking and poking around to see what the Sri Lankans are up too that we as westerns can learn from Sri Lankan New years:
Community and Family Bonding: The New Year celebrations in Sri Lanka emphasize the importance of community and family bonding. Families come together to engage in rituals, share meals, and participate in cultural activities. This highlights the significance of fostering strong relationships with family and neighbors, which can be a valuable lesson for individuals in the West where nuclear families are common and community ties may be less emphasized.
Cultural Preservation and Heritage: The festivities surrounding the Sri Lankan New Year are deeply rooted in the country's cultural heritage. People engage in traditional rituals, wear traditional attire, and partake in age-old customs passed down through generations. This underscores the importance of preserving cultural traditions and heritage, which can be a lesson for the West where cultural assimilation and globalization sometimes lead to the loss of cultural identity.
Renewal and Rejuvenation: The Sri Lankan New Year marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of a new agricultural year. It is a time for renewal and rejuvenation, both spiritually and physically. People clean their homes, settle debts, and engage in religious activities to purify themselves for the new year. This teaches the importance of reflection, renewal, and starting afresh, which can be applied to personal growth and development in the West.
Gratitude and Generosity: During the New Year celebrations, there is a strong emphasis on expressing gratitude and practicing generosity. People exchange gifts, offer alms to the less fortunate, and engage in acts of charity. This highlights the importance of gratitude for what one has and the joy of giving, which can be valuable lessons in a consumer-driven culture often focused on accumulation and materialism.
Connecting with the Natural World: timing of the Sri Lankan New Year is based on astrological calculations and marks the transition of the sun from Pisces to Aries. It’s always been a puzzle to me why we in the west celebrate new years in the deepest of winter. A time where we feel the most tired, introverted and most of all just want to cuddle under the duvet. And right in that season we then have to think about the new year and make wishes for prosperity and health when all we want to do is go back to bed. Starting the new year as nature re-emerges back to life makes a lot more sense to me. We feel a natural awakening and desire to grow, expand and blossom ourselves. Not in January when it’s cold, dark and miserable. What the timely manner of the Sri Lankan new year teaches us is the importance of living in harmony with nature and recognizing our interconnectedness with the natural world, a lesson that is increasingly relevant as we get more and more disconnected with the natural world around us.
