Sri Lankan New Year
The Sri Lankan new year is celebrated annually between the 12th and 15th of April by Sinhala and Tamil communities, binding the two main ethnic groups in a shared heritage of ancient customs and traditions. Originally a harvest thanksgiving, this great national festival marks the transit of the sun from Pisces to Aries in the Zodiac. Customs and traditions are meticulously observed, Activities such as lighting of domestic hearths, cooking and eating the first meal,business transactions and commencing occupational work in the new year are at astrologically auspicious times to ensure good fortune homes are spruced up, everyone wears new cloths in the prescribed lucky colour and freshly-harvested grain is used to prepare milk-rice (kiri-bath in Sinhala and Parl Choru in Tamil) in new pots. and for delicious traditional sweetmeats. Traditional games such as Elle, Gudu, And Pora-Pol and Raban (bass drum) playing and Swing-riding add to the merry-making and open house hospitality prevails.