• People, from students to lottery sellers, share their thoughts

The Sinhala and Tamil New Year is a time of celebration and camaraderie across the island. Highlights such as the famous New Year games, traditional recipes, and family festivities come to mind when the month of April dawns on us.

Yet, with just 10 days to go until the New Year, the season also represents a deepening divide within Sri Lanka’s population as differences in class and income emerge. The Daily Morning Brunch spoke to people representing different social groups to better understand if the Sinhala and Tamil New Year was a time of celebration or cutting back.

Unity for some

Traditionally, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year has been a time where families come together and enjoy their holidays with the unique traditions that tie communities together. Some people choose to take vacations to explore the beauty of the island while others use the season as a time to visit relatives and connect with their heritage. 

Speaking to The Daily Morning Brunch, Savin Vaas Gunawardena, who is a student, reflected on the Sinhala and Tamil New Year being a season filled with unity and an abundance of happiness.

“To me, the New Year season represents unity, not just among my family and neighborhood, but for people across the island,” Gunawardena said. “People are often divided by race, religion, and political affiliation. However, when the New Year season dawns upon us, everyone is suddenly embraced by the spirit of friendship as we come together to celebrate as Sri Lankans.”

Gunawardena reflected on traditions such as sharing traditional New Year food with neighbours and New Year games, which he says have blessed him with several close friends.

“I have made several good friends by participating in traditional New Year games and sharing food among people,” Gunawardena said. “I have also been able to explore new cultural aspects by tasting the food prepared by my Tamil friends as they celebrate the New Year.”

Meanwhile, Ayod Attanayake, an IT professional and Sri Lankan expatriate, shared his thoughts on how the New Year season draws his family closer.

“The Sinhala and Tamil New Year is perhaps the only time of year where I am able to spend time with both my immediate and extended family,” Attanayake said. “Thanks to the school and office holidays as well as universities closing for spring break, my family and I are able to come back to Sri Lanka and enjoy tasting the traditional food that we get from our local shops.”

Attanayake also stated that several of his older family members take turns to provide him with gifts of clothes and money while also sharing stories about New Year celebrations in their youth. 

“I often thought of my parents as stereotypical older people who valued good behavior,” Attanayake said. “However, upon hearing the stories of how my parents celebrated the New Year by playing elaborate pranks on their elders and nagging my grandparents for branded clothes, it made me realise that our parents are just like us and that has made me appreciate them and relate to them.”

Both Gunawardena and Attanayake shared that they look upon the season as a beautiful expression of Sri Lanka’s heritage and culture and hope that the traditions that bring us together would continue through future generations.

“Despite not being in Sri Lanka most of the time, I am keen to keep with the New Year traditions as they will always represent my roots,” Attanayake said. “It makes me happy when I see Sri Lankans in countries such as Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom practice these traditions and share our unique culture abroad.”

Division for others

Despite the unique cultural beauty of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, for some people, the season represents nothing but struggle. 

“The New Year means nothing to me as I have no money to celebrate it,” J.A. Malini, a lottery ticket seller on the streets of Pettah, told The Daily Morning Brunch. “With the prices of basic goods such as rice and coconut through the roof, I struggle to support myself and my family, and I cannot afford to make the traditional milk rice and share it with my family.”

Despite the day prior to the New Year (13) and the day of the New Year (14) being public holidays, Malini shared that she must still go on selling lottery tickets as that is her only means of survival.

“As the cost of living has gone up, I now find that people do not buy lottery tickets as they used to,” Malini said. “However, I must be hopeful and keep trying everyday, otherwise I will have no income and no way to support myself or my family. That means, I cannot take time off from my job for the New Year and I cannot afford to buy new clothes or presents for my children or grandchildren.”

The streets of Pettah were bustling with vendors selling traditional Sinhalese and Tamil food; however, those in the area told us that they cannot afford to buy food and will be forgoing New Year celebrations as prices continue to climb.

“I do not have the money to buy food or new clothes for the New Year as I used to,” Sarath Hewakokawalage, a three-wheeler driver, said. “Despite the New Year being important to my culture and community, I cannot celebrate it as I do not have the money to take a break from driving a three-wheeler.”

Hewakokawalage mentioned that rising expenses meant that he has seen a decrease in his income and reuniting with his family and buying presents for them is now a luxury he cannot look forward to.

“Because of the rising costs, people do not have money to take three-wheelers anymore and instead use means of public transport like buses or trains while others opt for walking,” he said. “As people refuse to take three-wheelers, I cannot afford to celebrate what should be a happy time with my family.”

He said that while those working white collar jobs often get to spend time with their families, for people like him, the New Year is just another day of strife.