Festive Mood grips the Nation

People throughout the country are rallying together with great enthusiasm to celebrate the National New Year which falls on April 14th this year, in a true national spirit.  The most widely celebrated festival in Sri Lanka is the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, which stimulates society, enlivens the nation and fosters, national consciousness. Traditionally known in Sri Lanka as Aluth Avurudu, the Sinhala & Tamil New Year celebrations follow auspicious times calculated by astrology.

Earlier the Sinhala and Tamil New Year was celebrated mainly by the Buddhists and the Hindus in our country. Now Christians too participate in New Year celebrations and it has become almost a national festival.

New Year festivals are being held throughout the island with reviving the cultural heritage and people are flocking into almost all the towns in their thousands to purchase clothing material, food items and gift items.

Even before the dawn of the New Year,  many New Year festivals with the participation of massive crowds were held in many parts of the island during the weekend (Saturday and Sunday),

These celebrations dominated with traditional events such as pillow fights, breaking the pot by the blindfold, tug-of-war, climbing the slippery tree, placing the eye for the elephant by the blindfold, sack races, cross-country marathons, bicycle races, etc., and the selection of the New Year Queen.

One such function on a grand scale was held at the Bambalapitiya Police Grounds in Colombo in which President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the First Lady Madam Shiranthi Rajapaksa were Chief Guests.  At this function, Ministers Johnston Fernance, Bandula Gunawardene, Parliamentarian Thilanga Sumathipala, and renowned artistes such as Ravindra Randeniya and Jackson Anthony also participated in the event for placing the eye for the elephant upon making blindfolded. This event was attended by several thousands of  people of all ages.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa gave away the prizes for winners of events and the New Year Queen was crowned by Madam Shiranthi Rajapaksa.

During the weekend the roads were also jammed with people and vehicles in almost every town from North to South and East to West and shops were kept open till late in the night. Traders reported of unprecedented sales and price of clothing and other material have come down due to severe competitiveness.

Vegetables and rice prices have also come down drastically and all signs indicate that this National New Year will be celebrated in a very grand scale throughout the country We wish all of you a Prosperous and Happy New Year..