Majority of Sri Lankans are Sinhalese, which is a about 80% of total population of Sri Lanka.  Sinhalese celebrate their new year in  April, normally on 13th or 14th.  The timing of the Sinhala New Year coincides with the new year celebrations of many traditional calendars of South and Southeast Asia such as Hindu New Year.

Sinhala new year celebrations  are followed by religious, cultural and sport activities. After starting the new year, there is an auspicious time to start  our work. Normally, new year celebrations are featured by cultural foods  Such as “Kawum” and “Kiribath” as seen in the figure below. Most of kids enjoy fireworks at this special season.

Though people are busy throughout the year, this special holidays are used as an excuse to meet parents relative and friends. In every house, visitors are treated with special new year foods.

To celebrate new year, everybody wear new dresses and hope to start a “clean” and new year. If there was any funeral within the past year, normally, the new year is not celebrated.

Sinhalese enjoy new year games a lot. Playing a special drum called “Raban” is mostly done by elder women. People enjoy lot of games such as “Pora Pol Gaseema”, “Kotta Pora”, “Kamba Adeema”, and “Lissana Gahe Nageema”. However, the new generation has forgotten  most of traditional games.