Next: about 13 to 14 Apr 2027
Sinhala and Tamil New Year (Avurudu)
Sri Lanka marks the new year in April at auspicious hours set by the almanac, in new clothes, often an osariya or saree.
What is worn for Sinhala and Tamil New Year (Avurudu)
Avurudu, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year of Sri Lanka, falls around 13 and 14 April, when the sun enters Aries. Each step of the day, from the lighting of the hearth to the first meal and the first new clothes, is done at a hour set by the almanac, called the nekath, which also names a colour for the first dressing. Women wear a new saree or an osariya, the Kandyan style of the island, a saree draped in the Kandyan style, worn with a blouse that has a frilled sleeve. Boiled milk rice, called kiribath, and sweets such as kokis are made, and games like pillow fighting on a greased pole are played. Oil is anointed on the head, and children touch the feet of elders. The exact day follows the almanac.
The sarees
Written by the EveryPallu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Sinhalese New Year" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Osariya: Mr Anuradha Ratnaweera (අනුරාධ රත්නවීර මහතා), CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Sari: Suyash.dwivedi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source