 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
 |
Sri Lanka has many cultural and religious festivals that take place throughout the year. In this page we try to introduce some of the most significant events to you. We have indicated the nature, location and time of the year that these events take place. We hope that the information below will be useful for both residents and visitors who would like to enjoy the Sri Lanka culture and traditions.
New Year in Sri Lanka or the Sinhala New Year - Aluth Avurudhu, usually falls on April 13th or the 14th every year. According to Sinhalese mythology, New Year begins when the sun moves from Meena Rashiya (the house of Aries) to Mesha Rashiya. It also marks the end of the harvest and spring. Rains enliven the spirit of nature as flowers bloom, trees get laden with fruits and the granaries of farmers are full.
The Vesak festival, or Buddha Day, celebrates three major events in the life of the Buddha: his birth, Enlightenment and passing away on the full moon of the 6th lunar month (May). It is the most important festival in the Buddhist lunar calendar.
Buddhist festivals are a time for joy. They give Buddhists an opportunity to meet together, to take the Three Refuges and learn more about the Buddha's teachings. Families bring food, candles and flowers to the monks in the monasteries. In return, the monks chant the scriptures, lead a periods of meditation and give teachings on the themes of the festival.
There is a party feeling to the whole occasion. Houses and streets are cleaned and decorated with Buddhist flags and flowers. In villages, Buddhists gather around statues of the Buddha when it is dark. They walk around the statue with candles, covering the scene with light.
During the Vesak celebration, an image of the new-born Buddha - in the gesture of pointing to the Truth - is usually displayed in the shrine room.
The procession of the sacred Tooth Relic, conducted annually during the month of July (Asala), constitutes the grandest festive ritual of the Dalada Maligava. Thousands of local and foreign visitors of all walks of life, irrespective of their religious pursuits, gather in the hill capital, Kandy , to rejoice in festive mood on the days of this event. Generally, the Devale processions on a mini scale are held for 5 days, followed by the `Kumbal' and `Randoli' processions each held for five days ending on the Full Moon day. The day following the last Randoli, the Water Cutting ceremony and the day procession are held bringing the festival to an end.
This is celebrated in June. This day commemorates the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka by Venerable Mahinda, son of emperor Ashoka of India. The Western Province celebrates this event by erecting decorated Pandols, making colorful lanterns, giving alms, fares, chanting stanzas and practicing religious and spiritual activities.
Among the Hindu festivals of Sri Lanka ,the Kataragama festival is looked upon with great veneration. The annual festival commences on the new moon of Adi (July-August) and lasts a fortnight. Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and Vaddhas gather there in thousands either to fulfill their vows or to seek knowledge and guidance from the Lord of Kataragama.
The festivals highlight is the Perahera or procession that takes place at night from 7 P.M. to 10 P.M. Long before the appointed hour where the premises are full with devotees carrying on their heads earthen vessels containing holy ash and burning camphor. Besides, there are the thundering of drums and the playing of flutes.
Preparation for this great day begins weeks before as in any other country. The festive sound of firecrackers waking you up at the dawn of December 1st is the first intimation that Christmas is round the corner. Almost every Christian or catholic home then rises with the dawn of the first day of the month of December to perform the first ritualistic task of the month of merry making.
Despite the fact that only 7% of Sri Lankan's are Christians, Christmas is celebrated by Christians and shared by the 93% of Buddhist, Hindus and Muslims in true Lankan style.
It is said that the very first celebration of this festival was perhaps introduced to Sri Lanka (previously known as Ceylon) by the Portuguese who ruled Lanka From 1505~1650,and then the Dutch who ruled from 1658~1796 followed by the British who ruled from 1815~1948.
The festivity spreads through all shopping centers all over the island. Even the small wayside boutiques in the heart of the country come out with their small festive decor. Christmas trees decorated and lit up are a common sight in shopping complexes and in every Christian home. Even non - Christians make Christmas trees for their children and let them enjoy the lovely Christmas.
St. Anthony’s Kochchikade is one of the best-know Churches in the Archdiocese of Colombo, both to Christian and non-Christians. Declared as a national shrine within the Archdiocese it is a Church that always has devotees seeking the assistance of the Saint. The site on which the Church was built brings into focus both the difficulty the people had to preserve their faith during the persecution by the Dutch East India Company, which ruled the Maritime Provinces and the conviction of the people in their religion. The origin of the Church is accorded to Fr. Antonio. He was a companion to Joseph Vaz and had been assigned to minister to the religious needs of the Catholics in Colombo.
January is the celebration of Thai Pongal, the merriest and by far the most popular of the Hindu festivals of Sri Lanka . This feast of the sun, the harbinger of a plentiful harvest, should, strictly speaking, be observed on December 23, the day after the northern solstice. However Hindu astrologers have, fixed the date to coincide with January 14, the first day of the auspicious month of Thai. This family festival, with many times - hallowed rituals begins with the boiling of a pot of rice at sunrise on the front doorstep of the house and the delightful cry of the family gathered round the pot: "Pongal! Pongal! auchu! "Which means exactly what one would expect" It's boiling its boiling!"
Ramadan, which ends during April, is a month in every second year set aside for fasting, a religious obligation compulsory for very devout followers of Islam. In this month, with the coming of every dawn, not a morsel of food, liquid or solid, will pass the lips of a Muslim observing the fast, until the sun sets over the horizon. In this period, while going about his activities a Muslim is expected to devote his time to prayer and meditation.
Celebrate a romantic wedding in Sri Lanka , a wonderful destination with a classic mixture of stunning natural beauty and traditional culture. Plus it would only cost you half of what it would cost to get married anywhere else in the world. A wedding ceremony will encompass many ancient traditions. A Buddhist ceremony will take place under an intricately carved and richly decorated wooden platform known as a Poruwa. Whether you choose to arrive on elephant back, walk ‘down the aisle' on sandy white beaches, be escorted by Kandyan dancers, or have a nature themed wedding, our experts will help make your dreams come true. Marriages are legally recognized and will be conducted by a Registrar of Marriages in a location selected by the couple. The couple should hold a minimum period of residency of 4 days prior to the wedding ceremony. No one under 21 years of age is permitted to marry in Sri Lanka according to Government regulations. Your travel agent will be able to elaborate more on the procedures.
Dance was initiated in Sri Lanka during the 4th century B.C for the purpose of expelling natural disasters and sickness. It also serves to greet people and to bring good fortune to the land. At the end of the Polonnaruwa period (15th century A.D.), Chola influence came into Sri Lanka and was adopted in Sri Lanka folk dancing.
The classical dance forms are associated with the performance of various rituals and ceremonies which are centuries old and are based on the folk religion and folk beliefs going back to times before the advent and acceptance of Buddhism by the Sinhalese people in the third century B.C. These rituals and ceremonies reflect the values, beliefs and customs of an agricultural civilization in Sri Lanka.
Over time, unique dancing forms were developed and varied from each other according to regional and local traditions. Today there are three principal dancing forms that can be seen in Sri Lanka.
Each style differs from one another in terms of the dress, drums, songs and way of dancing and movements of hands, legs and fingers.
The drum used in Kandyan dancing is knows as the GETA BERE, the drum in Ruhunu dancing as the YAK BERE, and drum in Sabaragamu dancing as the DAVULA.
