Sunday, January 5, 2014

Srilanka Festive

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 

The Aluth Sahal Mangalle or new rice festival is an important event of the harvest festival of the Maha kannaya in Sri Lanka. The first batch of new rice after being plucked, threshed and winnowed is offered to the Lord Buddha and deities.
Every January Poya Day, new rice festival commences. Rice and paddy donated to Temple of the Tooth are stored at Kundasale Pallekele in a separate location allocation and distribution of Rice and paddy to Devales relevant, is done. A traditional procession takes place from the Palace to Kundasale headed by Diyawadaered to the sacred tooth relic.

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.

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: رمضانRamaḍān, IPA: [rɑmɑˈdˤɑːn] Persian: رَمَضانRamazān; Urdu: رَمْضانRamzān; 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: حجḤaǧǧ "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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