Holidays in Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, there is an occasion for important festivals at any time of the year, which are usually characterized by magnificent parades. The holidays of all four world religions are based on the moon (the Buddhist term for full moon is Poya), which means that they fall on a different date each year. The most spectacular festivals on the island take place in July or August.
December / January :
- Duruthu Poya in Kelaniya near Colombo (Buddhist)
- Start of the pilgrimage season at Adam ́s Peak in the south (lasts until April)
February :
- Thai Pongal: the Hindu harvest festival
- Independence Day
- Navam Poya: Buddhist parades in Colombo
- Maha Shivarathri: Hindu festival throughout Sri Lanka
March / April :
- Holy Week and Easter Week, especially around Negombo
- Aluth Aurudu : New Year's celebration of Buddhists and Hindus at the hottest time of the year; many Sri Lankans travel, especially in the countryside the traditional rites are cultivated: new clothes, freshly lit fire, anointing with oil and herbs
April / May :
- Vesak Poya; many Buddhists dressed in white make a pilgrimage to the monasteries, which are magnificently decorated. There are also many pilgrims in the big cities
- Poson Poya near Mihintale in the Cultural Triangle (Buddhist)
July / August :
- Hindu festival Vel in Colombo
- Hindu Kataragama festival in the southeast, marked by ecstasy, self-mortification
- Kandy Perahera: Magnificent Buddhist Festival around Kandy (10 days)
October / November :
- Deepavali – Hindu Festival of Lights
- Unduvap Poya in Anuradhapura in the Cultural Triangle (Buddhist)
December 25 :
- Christmas
