To embrace the new year with warmth and prosperity, Lankans embark on their customs with decorous household cleaning, culinary arrangements, followed by the lighting of the herth prior to participating in traditional annual games such as tug-of-war, elephant pin and more. 

A flurry of cultural prowess encompassed the campus grounds as students queued for registration, adorned in traditional attire, exchanging nostalgic stories of their mid-April celebrations back home. The sky was glittered in hues of blue and pink, bleeding into each other in a mellow harmony. Walking into the indoor area, I was met by fellow Sri Lankans conversing in soft lulls amongst each other, awaiting the opening ceremony for the Avurudu.

The head of the Sri Lankan committee delivered an introductory speech by welcoming us to the Sinhala-Tamil festivity and directed us towards the official commemoration of the event via the lighting of the oil lamp along with the fellow heads of the Sri Lankan community. The lighting of the oil lamp is an integral detail of our tradition, wherein the light dissipates any negativity whilst symbolizing new beginnings. This was followed by a gracefully constructed dance performance, marrying the idea of prosperity and joy by honing cultural elements through a delicate cultural routine, fully doused in traditional attire. 

First Game Set

Setting foot outdoors into the grass field on campus, the students ardently approached the first set of games which consisted of the sack race, the leg tied race, a yoghurt eating contest, bun eating and the lime spoon race. Each game was handled with the same vigour, bringing individuals together through a zealous sort of ambience. The very first race that took place was the leg tied race where a pair of students tied one leg to the other’s and dashed to the finish line. Whilst the game that left contestants in a fit of bewildered laughter was the yoghurt eating contest as the participants were painted in splatters of yoghurt by the end of the game. The other games followed suit, enveloping the field in an amiable yet competitive air. 

Festive Food

Re-entering the indoor venue, I was met by the nostalgic aroma of Sri Lankan new year’s dishes being displayed in the latter half of the venue which made me feel like I was back in Colombo again. Students began queuing for food, readily eyeing the culinary stand which held meals and snacks such as Kiribath, Laddu, Konda Kavum, Kokis and more. Kiribath for example denotes prosperity and is a significant traditional new year dish for families when celebrating Avurudu. This prompted me to reminisce on my family’s New Year’s traditions; I remembered that we would prepare a rice dish called “pongal” which consisted of ingredients such as rice, coconut milk, nuts and plums following the astrological calendar.

Dula, the head of the Sri Lankan committee said that traditionally her family would boil milk in a pot and let it overflow following the astrological calendar’s specified time, for example this year, the astrologically significant time was 9:05pm (Sri Lankan time) for Avurudu. When interviewing another Sri Lankan student, he emphasised the importance of visiting family members during the new years holiday which hauled me back into the memories of visiting my grandma’s house with traditional sweets and sharing our dishes prior to visiting the temple together.

When briefly talking with the participants, it was clear that kiribath was the crowd favourite festive culinary item. Further, most of the students interviewed stated that they would celebrate Avurudu with their family prior to attending communal games in the new year spirit. Students also stated that their schools in Sri Lanka offered a wider variety of games such as elephant pin, pillow fight etc. 

Although it was a Sri Lankan event, the ethnicities of the students participating in the event was not limited to Sri Lankans, their cultural backgrounds ranged from Japanese to Iranian. When conversing with the Japanese student who attended the event, she stated that the celebratory experience was quite different to that of their traditions back home. For example, in Japan participating in communal games either in school, family or local community for the New Year wasn’t a common practice. Instead, they would spend New Year’s Eve as a family whether it was at home or outdoors. The Iranian student stated that in Iran, the celebrations take place over a 14 day period and involves ‘Haft Sin’ which is a total of 7 items that begin with the letter “S”. It is believed that whatever you do within the moment that the new year begins, is what will happen or what you will do for the majority of the new year itself. She stated that the experience of New Year’s celebrations at this event was really different from her culture which let her enjoy a new experience with regard to culture, food and celebratory traditions.

Second Game Set

The second set of games consisted of tug of war and balloon passing. Tug of war, a game where every student got involved, with each round consisting of a mix of both genders competing as a team against the other team, along with a round where each gender competed amongst themselves. Whilst balloon passing involved pairing up and passing water-filled balloons to their partner without breaking the balloon. 

Avurudu King and Queen

The Avurudu king and queen competition was based on aspects such as the traditional attire each contestant was wearing along with their charisma and any other contributing factors. 

This year’s winners are as follows:

Avurudu King: Kamil Uvais

Avurudu Queen: Shifaly Akbar

Closing Ceremony

The night ended with the closing ceremony, which involved the presentation of prizes, an overall celebratory speech that commemorated the event itself and group photos. The Sinhala-Tamil New Year is a time of warmth, prosperity and a strong embracement of cultural heritage via traditional dances, rituals such as the lighting of the oil lamp and communal games, ultimately wrapping individuals in a wave of gratitude and camaraderie.

Written by Madhushika

Photos by Austin and Li Lyn