The Sinhala and Tamil New Year is an important national day in Sri Lanka that heralds a month-long celebration in April. 

Traditionally, Avurudu has always been synonymously associated with festivities and celebrations. Preparations for the New Year would begin well ahead of its time; old pots and molds were pulled out from their cob-webbed nooks as families gathered to make their kavili for the table off generational recipes, houses would get fresh coats of paint, roads would be decorated with facades made from woven Cadjan and avurudu games the likes of pancha keliya and kotta pora would be practised ahead of the big day to the sounds of the rabanna and the koha in the backdrop. 

Avurudu over the years has shed a few traditions but also gained a few by custom. While community-style avurudu celebrations are not as frequently seen, there are a few traditions that have withstood the test of time; auspicious times and auspicious colours for the avurudu are observed, gifts are exchanged and plates of kavili from the table still make its way up and down the neighbourhood. 

With Avurudu traditions having changed over the years, we asked some of our readers to share the Avurudu traditions they still follow and the lost traditions they miss the most; 

“When I think of tradition and Avurudu, I think of family. We go to our hometown during the Avurudu week and all the cousins and family gather there - no matter what. We make a few Kavili at our ancestral home and we have a big Avurudu table on the day of the avurudu and the family just celebrates the new year together. There’s no special tradition really, it’s just that it’s the one time of the year where all the families try to come together no matter what” – Kavinda 

“We always have a table with all the kavili and make sure to boil the milk at auspicious times. Simple traditions like wearing the colour of the new year and exchange of gifts – we still love to do it. It’s also nice to see little kids wear sarongs and redda hettai. What I do miss seeing are the Avurudu uthsawa that we used to see all the time where everyone gets together and participate in.” – Dinali Lokugamage

“One of my favourite Avurudu traditions is definitely setting up the Avurudu table with kavili made at home. I think there are people who opt to buying it from outside, and we also did that for the longest time, but now I appreciating the idea of making kavili at home so this time I’m making it all by myself and I’m really excited! One Avurudu tradition I do miss and I wish I could see more of is the organisation of the traditional Avurudu games we used to play when we were little – outside of just playing it at school, university or work. Would love to see communities playing those games once again” – Charindi Meegastenna 

“Despite not being either Sinhala or Tamil, my parents would always do the simple Avurudu traditions at home like lighting of the hearth, cooking the milk rice, laying a table full of sweets and of course, sending and receiving plates of goodies from our neighbours. I’m really fond of that tradition. Life was simpler when we were growing up…”  - Nishu Gunawardana

“The only traditions we follow now for Avurudu is keeping the hearth on time and waiting till the nakath time to eat.” – Vindya Wijayaweera De Silva 

“I think one tradition we’ve always tried to follow is to ensure that we make at least one kavili at home no matter how busy we are. It’s also tradition for us to celebrate the day with the family, no matter what.” – Thaveesha Kottawa Gamage 

“Usually at our home, we try to do all the traditional things involved in Avurudu, from observing all the auspicious times to following all the customs and traditions of Avurudu. Of course, we only miss one Avurudu tradition now because it’s difficult to follow that these days, and that’s observing the nakatha to leave for the job” – Sumith Bandara 

“I think we’ve lost more traditions for Avurudu than we’ve made. I remember Avurudu as a kid was very festive; roads get decorated, houses get cleaned, people are constantly moving around buying ingredients to make kavili etc., when I was really small, I remember how empty grounds would get converted to a place for avurudu games with kathuru onchillawa and kana mutti. There’s just no festivity in Avurudu anymore; people just observe the nakath times on the new year day and that’s all that Avurudu has become over the years. I think we’ve lost a lot of really rich Avurudu traditions over the years….”  - K. A Sivaskaran 

“In our family, we tend to follow all the traditions on the day of Avurudu – all the auspicious times and the customs that go with it. But we do miss some of the other auspicious times like leaving to work or putting oil in the hair etc. In terms of lost traditions, I have noticed that distributing plates of sweet treats to neighbours after meals just don’t happen anymore. Maybe because people’s lifestyles and attitudes have changed over the years” – Ranjula Herath

“I think a tradition I miss seeing the most is seeing people dress up in reddai hattai when they visit their families on avurudu day.” – Shanishka Weerasinghe