Sinhala and Tamil New Year
| Sinhalese New Year සිංහල අලුත් අවුරුද්ද |
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|---|---|
| Official name | Aluth Avurudda |
| Also called | Sinhala and Tamil New Year Sinhala and Hindu New Year |
| Observed by | Sinhalese people worldwide |
| Type | Cultural |
| Celebrations | Games, family gathering, family meal, visiting friends and relatives, prayer |
| Observances | The observed movement of the sun from Meena Rashiya (House of Pisces) to the Mesha Rashiya (House of Aries) Marks the end of the harvest season |
| Date | April 13 or 14, an auspicious date in the month of Bak (April) (by the Shalivahana era) |
| 2016 date | 14 April, Monkey |
| 2017 date | 14 April, Rooster |
| 2018 date | 14 April, Dog |
| Frequency | annual |
| Related to | Bengali New Year, Burmese New Year, Cambodian New Year, Dai New Year, Lao New Year, Tai Khamti New Year, Tamil New Year, Thai New Year |
Sinhalese New Year, generally known as Aluth Avurudda (Sinhalese: අලුත් අවුරුද්ද) in Sri Lanka, is an important Sri Lankan holiday that celebrates the traditional Lunar New Year of the Sinhalese people in Sri Lanka. It is a major anniversary celebrated by not only the Sinhalese people but by most Sri Lankans. The timing of the Sinhala New Year coincides with the new year celebrations of many traditional calendars of South and Southeast Asia. The festival has close semblance to the Tamil New year, Thai New year, Bengali New Year, Cambodian New Year, Lao New Year, Thingyan in Myanmar and Odia New Year festival in India. It is a public holiday in Sri Lanka. It is generally celebrated on 13 April or 14 April and traditionally begins at the sighting of the new moon.
According to Sinhalese astrology, New Year begins when the sun moves from Meena Rashiya (the house of Pisces) to Mesha Rashiya (the house of Aries). It also marks the end of the harvest and spring.
Cultural anthropological history of the 'Traditional New Year' which is celebrated on month of April, goes back to an ancient period in Sri Lankan history.people think the celebration of new year is the change of thoughts too. Various beliefs, perhaps those associated with fertility of the harvest, gave birth to many rituals, customs, and ceremonies connected with the New Year. The advent of Buddhism in the 3rd century BC led to a re-interpretation of the existing New Year activities in the Buddhism light. The majority of the people in the country are Buddhists, and as such, it is that the Buddhist outlook was predominant in transforming the New Year rites to what they are now.
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Wikipedia