Sri Lanka, having a history as long as many ancient civilizations, positioned at the crossroads of the East and the West, and being a multicultural society, celebrates a wide variety of festivals, ceremonies and events. Every year on or about April 13 Sinhalese and

Tamil people The Tamil people, also known as Tamilar ( ta, தமிழர், Tamiḻar, translit-std=ISO, in the singular or ta, தமிழர்கள், Tamiḻarkaḷ, translit-std=ISO, label=none, in the plural), or simply Tamils (), are a Drav ...

celebrate Sinhalese and Tamil New Year Festival, Muslims celebrate Mawlid, fast during the Islamic month Ramadan and celebrate at the end of the month with the festival which is ( Eid al-Fitr) and (

Eid al-Adha Eid al-Adha () is the second and the larger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to Allah's com ...

) is celebrated on the final month of the Islamic calendar known as Dhu al-Hijjah. Christians celebrate

Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...

and

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

. Esala Perahera (A-suh-luh peh-ruh-ha-ruh) is a grand festival in the month of Esala held in Sri Lanka. Happening in July or August in

Kandy Kandy ( si, මහනුවර ''Mahanuwara'', ; ta, கண்டி Kandy, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills ...

, it has become a unique symbol of Sri Lanka. It is a

Buddhist festival Japanese, Burmese, Tibetan, Indian, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Chakma, Marma and Barua festivals often show the influence of Buddhist culture. Pagoda festivals in Myanmar are one example. In Tibet, India and Bhutan these festivals may include the ...

consisting of dances and richly decorated elephants. There are fire-dances, whip-dances,

Kandyan dance Kandyan dance ( Sinhala: උඩරට නැටුම්) encompasses various dance forms popular and native to the area called Kandy of the Central Hills region known as Udarata in Sri Lanka, which have today spread to other parts of the countr ...

s and various other cultural dances. The elephants are usually adorned with lavish garments. The festival ends with the traditional 'diya-kepeema'. The elephant is paraded around the city carrying a casket venerated by Buddhists as bearing the

Relic of the tooth of the Buddha The relic of the tooth of Buddha (Pali ''danta dhātuya'') is venerated in Sri Lanka as a sacred cetiya relic of Lord Buddha, who is the founder of Buddhism, the fourth largest religion worldwide. History The relic in India According to Sri Lanka ...

Festivals and events by Gregorian calendar dates

(This order may differ from year to year due astrological and astronomical reasons)

January

* January - Duruthu Full Moon Poya - (Religious/

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

) * January - The Initial

Aluth Sahal Mangallaya The Aluth Sahal Mangalle or the New Rice Festival is a harvest festival of the Maha kannaya in Sri Lanka. The first batch of new rice after being plucked, threshed and winnowed is offered to the Buddha and deities. Every January Poya Day, new ...

( New Rice Festival) at the Temple of the Tooth; - (Customary/Sinhalese/Agriculture related) * January - Patti Pongal - (Religious/Hindu/Agriculture related) * January - Patti Kiri Ithirima - (Customary/Sinhalese/Agriculture related)

February

* February - The National Day ( Independence Day) - (Customary/Political/Commemorating the Political Freedom attained from the British Empire) * February - Navam Full Moon Poya - (Religious/Buddhist)

March

* March -

Maha Shivaratri Maha Shivaratri ( IAST: Mahāśivarātri) is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance called Tandava. In every month of the luni-solar Hindu ...

- (Religious/Hindu) * March - Mawlid - (Religious/Islam) * March - Medin Full Moon Poya - (Religious/Buddhist) * March - Good Friday - (Religious/Catholic/Christian) * March -

- (Religious/Catholic/Christian)

April

* April - Day Prior to Sinhalese and Tamil New Year - (Religious/Customary/Buddhist/Hindu/Sinhalese/Agriculture related/Astrology related) * April - Sinhalese and Tamil New Year - (Religious/Customary/Buddhist/Hindu/Sinhalese/Agriculture related/Astrology related) * April - National herbal oil ceremony - (Customary/Buddhist/Sinhalese/Astrology related) * April - Bak Full Moon Poya - (Religious/Buddhist)

May

* May -

May Day May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. Tr ...

- (Customary/Political) * May - Watching the new moon for the new Solar year - (Customary/Astrology related) * May - Vesak Full Moon Poya (

Vesak Vesak (Pali: ''Vesākha''; sa, Vaiśākha), also known as Buddha Jayanti, Buddha Purnima and Buddha Day, is a holiday traditionally observed by Buddhists in South Asia and Southeast Asia as well as Tibet and Mongolia. The festival commemora ...

) - (Religious/Buddhist)

June

* June - Poson Full Moon Poya - (Religious/Buddhist) * June - Ramadan ( Eid al-Fitr) (Religious/Muslim)

July

* July - Esala Full Moon Poya - (Religious/Buddhist)

August

* August - Nikini Full Moon Poya - (Religious/Buddhist) * August - Esala Perahera - (Customary/Religious/Political/Buddhist/Hindu/Sinhalese)

September

* September - Binara Full Moon Poya - (Religious/Buddhist)

October

* October - Vap Full Moon Poya - (Religious/Buddhist) * October - Diwali - (Religious/Hindu)

November

* November - Il Full Moon Poya - (Religious/Buddhist) * Hajj (

) - (Religious/Islam)

December

* December - Unduvap Full Moon Poya - (Religious/Buddhist) * December -

- (Religious/Catholic/Christian)

References

{{Reflist

Festivals A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...