Sri Lanka Festivals For Travelers Sri Lanka a lovely island nation is blessed with many festivals through certain year. While it's true that they are predominantly religious based, they may be wonderful to watch and engage in.
Christmas gifts to Sri LankaAs the majority of Sri Lankans are Buddhist, most festivals are dependant on Buddhism. As Christmas is to the Christians, Wesak is to the Buddhists. Celebrated in May, it signifies the afternoon Lord Buddha was created, attained Buddha hood, as Guatama Buddha and day he passed on. While likely to temple, observing sil - a type of quiet contemplation, is done during Wesak, the actual highlight with the festival from your visitor's standpoint is the place the entire island comes alight before bed, with paper lanterns created especially for the festival.
Traffic comes to a virtual standstill as main roads and by-roads turn into impromptu lantern exhibitions. Creations usually add the simple, on the very elaborate as people vie to outdo one another. It is a sight to behold and well worth experiencing, with a lot of Sri Lanka hotels lightening up for your occasion.
Christmas cakes to Sri LankaAnother interesting festival in Sri Lanka is the celebration in the Sinhala Tamil New Year, known simply as Avurudu, locked in April. It's held in April as it's a time of prosperity for the predominantly agricultural nation, an occasion when the harvest is collected. A truly traditional Avurudu celebration would entail the eating of kiribath (milk rice) as well as other sweetmeats on the given auspicious time by family, after which it they exchange money to take prosperity for your upcoming year. People engage in traditional games and the playing of drums or rabbana. The hotels in Sri Lanka have particular events organized to celebrate Avurudu where guests may take part inside the rituals and food.
For Sri Lankans full moon days hold special religious value and so are usually holidays. Duruthu poya is in January and marks the 1st visit of Buddha to Sri Lanka. A perahera, that's uniquely symbolic of Sri Lanka is kept in Kelaniya, about 10 km not in the capital Colombo. This perahera or pageant is a colourful event with traditional dancers and richly adorned elephants sure to captivate and enthral the senses.
Tamil new year Sri LankaPoson poya falls in June each year and is also marked since the day Buddhism was introduced to the nation. Mihintale and Anuradhapura will be the places to be in this season.
The famous Kandy perahara is an experience to not be missed. It can be locked in August during Esala full moon, hence the perahara is also termed as the Kandy Esala perahera. The main attraction could be the Dalada Maligawa Tooth relic. Sri Lanka hotels are chock filled with tourists and local visitors during this period in most cases help organize tickets along with other essentials for your event.
Hinduism has become so integrated in the Sri Lankan culture that you simply find Hindu gods at Buddhist temples and also the Kataragama devale is the best melting pot of these two. Hindu devotees visit looking for the protection from the God Skanda to whom the devale is dedicated. Buddhists visit Kiri Vehera stupa inside the devale premises, said to be one of the sixteen places visited in Sri Lanka by Buddha. Visit before the Kataragama festival and turn into privileged to witness the Hindu devotees fulfilling vows with fire walking and piercings. A rarer sight would have been a devotee hung from a scaffolding by hooks.
Christmas too is celebrated in Sri Lanka on a grand scale with the Sri Lanka hotels giving guests an authentic Christmas out of the house. The funding especially turns out its finery in honour in the birth of Christ.