Sinhala and Tamil New Year
The Sinhala and Tamil New Year marks the beginning of the Lunar year. It usually takes place sometime in April.
Festivities are colorful and fun all around the island. Just like the Poya holidays, all formal or government businesses close and the island takes on a relaxed festive state.
This is a festival celebrated by the entire population. Sri Lankans love friendly competitive games and the New Year is when you will find these kinds of games happening everywhere.
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Vesak Poya
Vesak Poya falls on the full moon of the month of March. According to the Buddhist moon calendar, it’s the first full moon of the new year.
Vesak Poya is a triple celebration of Buddha. It is on this day that Buddha was born, found enlightenment, then many years later passed away. The Vesak festival takes place all over the city and most of the island.
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Kandy Esala Poya Perahera
Another huge Poya celebration is the Esala Poya Perahera in Kandy. Esala Poya is the day that celebrates the arrival of the Buddha Tooth Relic to the famous Dalada Maligawa.
Perahera means procession in Sinhalese. Peraheras take place every Poya holiday on small scale in Colombo and other places around the island, but none compare to the week-long celebrations in Kandy during Esala Poya.
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Poson Festival
Another grand Poya festivity is Poson Poya, which is the celebration of the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, It usually takes place during the full moon in June. There are celebrations all over the island like all Poya days but the main festivities for Poson Poya are at Mihintale.
The Mihintale rock outcrop is believed to be the first place where the Buddhist monk Mahinda talked about Buddhism with King Devanampiyatissa.
To get to Mihintale you can take a train to Anuradhapura and a car from there.
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Ramadan and Eid
Ramadhan is the month-long Muslim festival of cleansing and fasting. The festival begins at the first sighting of the new moon. A lot of restaurants will have special nighttime menus for Muslims to come together and break their fast.
Eid, on the last day of Ramadan, is a big celebration of feasting and giving.
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Christmas
Even though only about 20% or less of the population in Sri Lanka is Christian, Christmas is still a big celebration on the island. Every mall, store, business and bakery is colorfully decorated with trees, lights and garlands. Religious places or businesses owned by Christians will have nativity scenes.
All big hotels serve Christmas dinner on the 24th and the Cinnamon Grand Hotel decorates the lobby to a great extent. A hotel visit is a big enough Christmas experience in Colombo. Don’t forget to try the the richest and most spiced cake in the world.
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Maha Shivarathri – Festival of Shiva
Maha Shivarathri is the celebration of the Hindu god Shiva. Festivities take place in June in the Hindu Shiva temples around the island. Devotees take a purification bath at dawn and fast all day. Many of them take part in mediation rituals with the help of the Panchakshara mantra “Om Nama Shivaya“.
Shiva statues are also bathed in milk and honey and covered in red vermillion to represent the purification of the soul. Some temples, like Sri Kaileshwarar temple in Colombo, have dance and music performances as part of the celebrations.
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Deepavali
Deepavali is the Hindu festival of lights, it is the celebration of Lord Rama’s defeat of Ravana, symbolizing the defeat of light over darkness. Homes will be decorated with little clay lamps and buildings and streets are illuminated in celebration.
In Western calendars, it takes place usually in October or November. Deewali celebrations last for five days but the biggest and most important day is the last. Devotees will wear new clothes and give each other gifts, usually sweets.
