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Every full moon day in Sri Lanka is known as poya, a Buddhist public holiday in which adherents dress in white to visit the temple from dawn until dusk to pray, meditate and listen to religious discourse. The 12 poya days each year are individually named and concern the life of the Buddha and Buddhism. |
| JANUARY |
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Independence Day, celebrating independence from Great Britain in 1948, falls on February 4. Parades, dances, processions and national games are organized all over the island. But the main event is held in Colombo, attended mostly by politicians. |
| FEBRUARY |
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The Hindu festival of Maha Sivarathri, or .The Great Night of Shiva., is celebrated in late February or early March in Hindu homes and temples across the country. This is the most important religious festival of the year for Shaivites, who comprise the majority of Sri Lanka.s Hindus. It is a deeply symbolic occasion: poojas are held at kovils during the day and can be witnessed by visitors, and every Hindu household keeps an all-night vigil. |
| MARCH |
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Sri Lankan New Year, which occurs usually on the 13th and 14th of April, is a non-religious festival celebrated by the whole population. Originally a harvest thanksgiving, it does not begin at midnight on the designated day, because, like many events in Sri Lanka, the precise (.auspicious.) timings are decided upon astrologically. It.s believed New Year commences not when the old one ends, but a few hours later. The interval between the old and the new is called nona gathe, or .neutral period., during which all activities cease. When the New Year commences, fresh activities begin: a fire is lit and new clothes are worn. Then comes the gana-denu, or .give and take. in which money is exchanged. The festival culminates when oil is mixed with a herbal paste and a respected elder anoints the head of each family member. Over the festive period traditional games, both indoor and out, such as kotta pora (pillow fighting) and havari hengima (hiding the wig) are played in homes and villages, bringing together families and communities. Many shops are closed for up to a week over New Year as people travel en-masse with gifts and specially prepared festive food to offer to family and friends. |
| APRIL |
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The most important Buddhist full moon day is in May . Vesak Poya - which marks the Buddha.s birth, enlightenment and passing away (Pariniwana). Large pandals (bamboo frameworks) hung with pictures depicting events in the life of the Buddha are erected in the streets, illuminated by flashing coloured light bulbs. Roadside dansalas (stalls) offering free food and soft drinks to passers-by are notable features of the event. Among the many striking Vesak decorations are intricate paper lanterns of different shapes and sizes, and little clay coconut oil lamps (pol-thel pahana) that flicker throughout the island. Visitors to Sri Lanka at this time will not fail to witness and be moved by the beautiful displays of lanterns outside every Buddhist home, business and temple. |
| MAY |
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Poson Poya is second in importance to Vesak since it commemorates the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka in 247BC. The focus of this festival is the ancient capital of the country, Anuradhapura, and the mountainous Mihintale Temple, reached by 1,840 steps, where King Devanampiyatissa was converted to Buddhism in the third century BC. During Poson, the mountain is illuminated and devotees climb the steps in their thousands to pay homage to the event. |
| JUNE |
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Sri Lanka.s most prominent festival is the magnificent Kandy Esala Perahera, held in the hill capital of Kandy over 10 days in late July to early August and climaxing on Esala Poya. The perahera.s origins date back to the third century BC, but the modern event originated in the mid-18th century when the Kandyan king decreed that once a year the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha, kept at the Dalada Maligawa,or .Temple of the Tooth., should be displayed in a procession for the people to venerate. |
| JULY |
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In the southeast of the island, the sacred site of Kataragama is brought to life with its unique annual Esala festival, which commemorates the victory of the six-faced, 12-armed Hindu war god, Skanda, over an army of demons at Kataragama. Naturally, many Hindu devotees make the pilgrimage to the shrine, but Buddhists, Muslims and some Christians also honour this god. During this 10-day festival pilgrims demonstrate their sincerity by performing astonishing acts of penance and self-mortification. These include walking barefoot atop hot coals and spearing themselves with hooks. |
| AUGUST |
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Commemorates The Buddha's visit to heaven to preach to his mother and celestial multitude. Also the commencing of the Bhikkhuni (nun's) Order. Pajapati Gotami approached The Buddha and implored him to establish the Bhikkhuni Order. |
| SEPTEMBER |
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The Hindu festival Deepavali, or the Festival of Lights (known in India and elsewhere as Diwali) celebrates an aspect of the epic poem, the Ramayana - the homecoming of the hero, the Indian Prince Rama, after a 14-year exile in the forest following his victory over Lanka.s evil King Ravana. In the legend, the people welcomed Rama by lighting rows of lamps, and that.s exactly what happens today. Devotees all over the country wear new clothes and cook sweet dishes to propitiate the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, who is also associated with the festival. |
| OCTOBER |
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Eid ul-Adha (عيد الأضحى), or the Festival of Sacrifice is a public and bank holiday in Sri Lanka. Muslims all over the world celebrate this holy day. It falls approximately 70 days after Eid ul-Fitr (end of Ramadan) and is celebrated in honor of the prophet Abraham willingness to sacrifice his son as a proof of his loyalty to God. Celebrations usually include presenting an animal (usually a cow or a sheep) sacrifice, and the meat is shared with family, friends and those in need. The festival also marks the end of the Pilgrimage or Hajj to Mecca. During the Hajj, male pilgrims are required to dress only in a garment consisting of two sheets of white unhemmed cloth, with the top draped over the torso and the bottom secured by a white sash; plus a pair of sandals. |
| NOVEMBER |
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Sri Lanka is home for many Christians who celebrate Christmas in grand style. The festival season is marked by street decorations in many places of the city. Christmas carols are common and most of the major corporate companies customarily throw Christmas parties, especially on the eve of Christmas. City hotels plan Christmas programmes ahead and hold gala dinner dances on the eve of Christmas. Most of the churches also hold mid-night mass on the eve of Christmas. It is a public and bank holiday. |
| DECEMBER |
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