Srilanka Festive
Sri Lanka having a history as long as many ancient
civilizations, positioning in the crossroad of the East and the West, and being
a multicultural society, celebrates a wide variety of festivals, ceremonies and
events.
January
Thai Pongal Festival
The colorful Thai Pongal Festival celebrated by the Hindu devotees of Sri Lanka is celebrated on 14 of January
The houses are adorned in colourful kolam, intricate drawings done
on the floors using flour. Special Pujas (prayer ceremonies) are held
in Kovils to worship the Sun God. It is customary to cook the Pongal
meal and share it with neighbors, especially non-hindus
Aluth Sahal Mangalle
February
Independence Day
Sri lanka acquired independence in 1948 on 04 th February. There are
many celebrations around the country on this special holiday and the
main one is usually in Parliamentary grounds in Sri Jayawardhanapura
and is attended by politicians, diplomats etc.
March
Maha Sivarathri
This important religious festival is held end February or beginning
March. Poojas are held through out the country all night and vigils are
held in the households.
Gangaramaya Navam Perahera
All visitors to the Capital during this period can experience the
perahera and witness the colourfully dressed elephants and musicians
and dancers parading in the streets of Colombo.
Good Friday
Good Friday is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of Passover. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Black Friday or Easter Friday, though the latter properly refers to the Friday in Easter week
April
Sinhala and Tamil New Year
Celebrated by all Sinhalese and Tamils, the traditional New Year
celebrations fall on between 12 to 14 April and is the celebration of
Sun God's passage from Pisces to Aries. It is a harvest thanksgiving and
is mainly celebrated by the villagers in true traditional style. A
colourful and extravagant festival, this season is usually a holiday for
the whole country. The Aluth Avurudu (New Year) is a time for
friendships and family and many traditions are observed according to the
litha (A strological time). New clothes are worn, milk boiled and
traditional ricemilk with sweets fill the tables. The youth spend the
day engaged in various traditional games such as climbing a greased
poll, pillow fighting, breaking a pot blindfolded and the girls plating
swinging. The women also fill the air with Raban padha ( traditional
drum instrument) dressed in their new year costume.
Easter
Celebrated by Catholics around the country but mainly in the coastal
area around Kandana, Negombo etc., The crucification of Christ is
acted- out for three hours and is a touchy experience taking you to the
mountain of Golgotha.
May
May Day
May Day, or International Workers’ Day, is traditionally a celebration
of the international labour movement and left-wing movements. Its
origins lay with the labour movements around the world.
On this day street demonstrations and marches by the working people and their labour unions are organised. It is a day which traditionally was reserved to help promote worker rights and recognise the practice of labour laws.
However, in Sri Lanka May Day rallies have shifted from the arena of workers’ rights to an opportunity for the political parties to promote their political messages.
On this day street demonstrations and marches by the working people and their labour unions are organised. It is a day which traditionally was reserved to help promote worker rights and recognise the practice of labour laws.
However, in Sri Lanka May Day rallies have shifted from the arena of workers’ rights to an opportunity for the political parties to promote their political messages.
Wesak
Wesak , the most hallowed of Buddhist festivals commemorating the
birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha is held on the full moon
day in May and the day following it. Starting at dawn, Buddhists dressed
in white start to make their way to the temple to observe sila , in
which they spend the day meditating, reading religious texts, and
listening to sermons. At night the temples are crowded with devotees
bringing flowers and offerings. Nevertheless, Wesak is a joyous occasion
and is celebrated with verve and imagination. Among the many striking
decorations are intricate Wesak paper lanterns of different shapes and
sizes, and the thousands of little clay coconut oil lamps ( pol-thel
pahana ) that flicker throughout the island.
In Colombo the celebrations are unsurpassed. Enormous pandals
(bamboo frameworks) hung with pictures depicting events in the life of
the Buddha are erected in the streets, illuminated by a myriad of
flashing coloured electric light bulbs. Another special feature of Wesak
are the danselas (alms booths). These are temporary sheds, set up by
the roadside with tables and chairs by local people, at which food and
refreshment are given free to sightseers and pilgrims. In addition,
puppet shows and open-air theatre performances telling Buddhist tales
are held throughout the island.
June
Poson full-moon poya day
Poson full-moon poya day (Poson Poya Day/Poson Festival)
is celebrated the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the 3rd century
BC, a festival of great historical and religious significance celebrated
island-wide by Buddhists. Poson, held on the full moon day of June,
commemorates the occasion over 2,000 years ago when Arahat Mahinda, son
of Emperor Asoka of India, converted King Devanampiyatissa to Buddhism.
The main center of celebration is Mihintale, the ancient monastic complex where the royal missionary monk Mahinda perched the first sermon to the ruling king and at Anuradhapura
the ancient capital, to which large crowd of pilgrims converge. Mass
religious observances, illuminations pageants are part of the
celebrations.
July
The Esala Perahera in Kandy
One of the most glamorous cultural processions in the world. The
procession takes place on 10 consecutive nights, where the first six
nights are known as Kumbal perahera and the last four nights is the much
more glamorous Randoli perahera with the final night having a 100
elephants adorned in elegant costumes parading. The event is celebrated
once a year since the 3 rd century AD to allow pilgrims to pay homage
to the Sacred Tooth Relic carried by the Diyawadana Nilame, selected to
be the trustee of the temple. The event is made colourful and vivid
with many dancers and instrument players parading
August
Madhu Festival and the Feast of St. Anne
Celebrated by Catholics, The Madhu and the St Annes church are known
to have miracle statues. Devotees visit the pilgrimage site and spend
time in prayer while overnight sleep is in the camping site outside the
church.
Vel
If you happen to be in Colombo at the time of the Esala Perahera in
Kandy, do make a note to see the religious celebrations of the Hindus,
held in Colombo, another procession where the God of war carries his
Vel (trident weapon) from the Muthuvinayagam Swami Kovil in Sea Street,
Pettah, to the Kathiresan in Bambalapitiya or Wellawatte. You can
observe the fetival during the day, if you're on Galle Road between
Pettah and Bambalapitiya.
October
Ramazān Festival
Ramadan (Arabic: رمضان Ramaḍān, IPA: [rɑmɑˈdˤɑːn] Persian: رَمَضان Ramazān; Urdu: رَمْضان Ramzān; Turkish: Ramazan) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar; Muslims worldwide observe this as a month of fasting.This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam.The month lasts 29–30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon, according to numerous biographical accounts compiled in the hadiths.The word Ramadan comes from the Arabic root ramiḍa or ar-ramaḍ, which means scorching heat or dryness.Fasting is fard ("obligatory") for adult Muslims, except those who are ill, traveling, pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic or going through menstrual bleeding.Fasting the month of Ramadan was made obligatory (wājib) during the
month of Sha'aban, in the second year after the Muslims migrated from
Mecca to Medina.
November
Deepavali
This is the beginning of the financial year for the Hindu business
community. The Goddess of wealth is welcomed to homes decorated with
kolam and lit with lamps.
December
Hajj Festival
The Hajj (Arabic: حج Ḥaǧǧ "pilgrimage") is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca and the largest gathering of Muslim people in the world every year.It is one of the five pillars of Islam, and a religious duty which must be carried out by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so at least once in his or her lifetime.The state of being physically and financially capable of performing the Hajj is called istita'ah, and a Muslim who fulfils this condition is called a mustati. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to God (Allah in the Arabic language).The word Hajj means "to intend a journey" which connotes both the outward act of a journey and the inward act of intentions.
Christmas
The month of Christmas is a high trading month in Colombo where
people are preparing of Christmas and New Year celebrations. Christmas
is mainly glamorous in Colombo and the coastal catholic areas, where the
birth of Christ is celebrated with crackers, mid-night mass, family
gatherings and joyous sharing with the poor.
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