Ayubowan! At BestStart Sunset, we joyfully celebrated the Sinhala and Tamil New Year on the 14th of April, 2025
The Sinhala and Tamil New Year is an important cultural festival celebrated by the Sinhalese and Tamil communities in Sri Lanka. It falls in mid-April, usually on the 13th and 14th, and marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of a new year.
The festival is a time for renewal, reflection, and celebration. Preparations for the New Year begin several weeks in advance, with people cleaning their homes and cooking traditional foods. The celebration is incomplete without traditional sweets such as ‘kavum’,‘kokis’, ‘mun kavum’ and ‘aluwa’ to name a few.
On the day of the New Year, everyone gathers at the auspicious time to engage in rituals and customs. This includes offering betel leaves to elders for blessings, lighting lamps, and boiling milk in a new clay pot until it overflows, which symbolises prosperity and abundance; preparing kiri bath (milk rice) and sharing the first meal with loved ones.
On the day of the celebration, we brought these rich traditions to life at our centre. We boiled milk in our kitchen, symbolising prosperity and abundance, and lit the oil lamp to welcome the New Year with positive energy and blessings. We also shared kiribath (milk rice) along with traditional sweets with both our staff and tamariki, creating a warm and joyful atmosphere.
Our little ones had the opportunity to experience the joy of traditional games like pinning the eye to the elephant, finding pebbles in flour, bringing lots of smiles and laughter throughout the day. Tamariki also engaged in activities such as, colouring Sri Lankan flags, making decorations.
The Sinhala and Tamil New Year is a vibrant and meaningful occasion filled with customs, food, and fun. We were proud to share this cultural celebration with our children and teaching team, nurturing cultural awareness and a strong sense of community.
We look forward to celebrating this special tradition together again next year!