Tag Archives: Sinhala New Year

A Happy Very Joyful ‘Sinhala’ ‘New Year’ (‘Aluth Avurudu’) 2024 To You — Saturday, April 13.

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by Anura Guruge
on April 12, 2024

Caught me off-guard, on the hop. IT, very much an astrological holiday (based on the astronomical ‘sighting’ of the new moon, is early this year. Most years it falls on April 14. In my mind ‘April 14’ is New Year. ‘April 13’ (which was the birthday of my maternal grandmother (who brought me up) was the OLD NEW YEAR. This year Old New Year is TODAY. Ooops. Yes, I have been busy (& yes, it is another book). So, I lost sight of it.

Well, not a total loss. I still managed to catch the New Year.

So, Happy New Year.

Those are my ADOPTIVE parents — lighting oil lamps (something we did for New Year). I don’t think these pictures are from New Year. My father is wearing a suit. Though he wore one OFTEN, he wouldn’t be wearing one for New Year. We usually spent ALL of Old New Year and the start of the New Year at home. When at home my father always dressed informally.

Well, Happy New Year.

The last of the THREE New Years I mark & celebrate each year.

A Happy ‘Sinhala’ ‘OLD New Year’, Thursday, April 13, 2023.

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by Anura Guruge
on April 12, 2023

My maternal grandmother — who essentially raised me.

Yes, Friday, April 14, 2023 is the ‘Sinhala New Year‘.

Yes, though the final timing is determined by astrologers, it typically falls on or around April 14 of each.

But, we also have the tradition of marking the day ahead of it as our ‘OLD New Year’. Actually makes sense. A day to put the OLD year behind you & get ready, both physically & emotionally for the coming NEW Year — the next day. Many, especially those that don’t bother doing so daily, will take a good bath on the Old New Year day to wash away the old year.

We marked it more than most because it was my maternal grandmother’s birthday. She was the all-powerful matriarch of the family — & she had quite the family. So, our festivities definitely started on the 13th & carried on, unabated, to the next day. We used to be good at having fun.

Well, Happy OLD New Year.

Enjoy.

Happy Sinhala New Year 2022, ‘Aluth Avurudda’ (April 14) — With My Photographs From The 1950s & 1960s.

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by Anura Guruge
on April 13, 2022

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Click to ENLARGE. My adoptive mother doing something she loved to do. Serve food.

To mark the occasion I went looking for old pictures, from Ceylon, from the 1950s & 1960s.

I no longer have many. Plus, the ones I have are deteriorating. Some of you may not know, but photos in the 1950s & 1960s were SMALL. The films were small.

But, I managed to capture some. Yes, I also didn’t have much time. {Smile}

Click the images to ENLARGE them.

Any guesses as to who this could be? I think that that is a stray dog. I was NEVER allowed to have one.

Top left is my illustrious paternal grandfather, JP. Bottom left is my beloved Doctor Uncle — who was indeed a doctor, a very good one at that. These are all close relatives. My surrogate parents 6 down from the top — at right.

A fair chunk of the family is here, parents, aunties, cousins.

Happy New Year.

Sinhala New Year 2022, ‘Aluth Avurudda’, In Sri Lanka, Is On Thursday, April 14.

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by Anura Guruge
on April 12, 2022

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Click to ENLARGE. My teak elephant bridge, with ‘Ceylon’ inlaid into the wood. I bought in New Hampshire, at a consignment store, a few years ago. Got a good price.
Click to ENLARGE and read here. Wikipedia link.
Click to ENLARGE. Some of the gifts you can send for New Year via ‘Kapruka.com‘.

One of the THREE New Years that I celebrate EACH YEAR — January 1, Chinese New Year & this, my native, Sinhala New Year. Ironically, & sadly, I basically mark the Sinhala New Year as opposed to celebrate it per se. Basically there is nobody around to celebrate it with! Not like Chinese New Year when I can go to Boston Chinatown — COVID permitting.

Yes, of course, we celebrated it when I lived in Ceylon. That was a long time ago. I left in August 1967. I have not been back in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in April, for New Year, since then. But, I still remember it. All the auspicious times. Having to do some studies, at the right time, to step into the New Year with the right ‘academic blessings’. I remember this vividly & it has to have been around 60-years ago. The New Year day is busy — especially as we were in heavy demand as ‘First Visitors’ to various houses. So my father wanted to get the studying part done quickly as possible (for a change). He asked me for the square root of 100. I was stumped. My father was disappointed. After some coaxing & coaching I got it right. The deed was done.

Well, the two YouTubes above will give you an idea to what it was like.

Happy New Year.