It's New Year in the city

April in Sri Lanka is a time for holidays and festivities. Workers in the city plan to go to their homes and villages. Shops and pavement hawkers are thronged by shoppers searching for affordable gifts to take home to their kith and kin. Schools, firms and other organisations are all busy with Avurudhu melas and Avurudhu pola which are held everywhere. Hotels too take up the Avurudhu theme and organise traditional new year meals and festivities for their guests. In the midst of the inevitable commercialization of the New Year activities, one wonders how far the spirit of the new year and the observance of its traditional customs are carried on.

"In a changing world, one cannot expect tradition to remain static," says Prof. J.B. Disanayaka. Professor of Sinhala at the University of Colombo. "However, the traditional new year customs have not disappeared. They are being adjusted to suit modern times. Some customs which have been observed a century ago, may not be followed in the same manner and same spirit. Today, one may not think or even know of the symbolism involved as one practises the traditions."

Professor Disanayaka explained that the traditions and symbolism of the new year are linked with the cultural belief system of the Sinhala Buddhists and the Tamil Hindus. According to him, the idea that time is divided into auspicious and inauspicious periods is a belief of the Buddhist and Hindu culture. It forms an integral part of the new year traditions. Also, both Buddhists and Hindus share a belief that the world is full of many gods such as the Sun God and the Moon God. This is why the April New Year, although termed the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, is celebrated mainly by the Sri Lankan Buddhists and Hindus and not by the Christian Sinhalese and Tamils.

The April New Year celebrates the beginning of the solar year. It is linked with the movement of the Sun God who rises in the east, moves across the sky and sets in the west. While moving across the sky daily, it was believed that the Sun God also moves along a path which the ancients thought to be circular in shape. This path, known as the Zodiac is divided into 12 segments or rasi. For calculation and reference, astrologers made an arbitrary beginning and end to the Zodiac, starting with Aries or Mesha and ending with Pisces or Meena.

The time taken by the Sun God to move from the beginning of the first rasi to the end of the last rasi is one year. When he reaches the end of the last rasi however, he does not automatically re-enter the first rashi. He is said to be in transition for a period of time. This period is not part of the old year nor the new year. It is as it were a no man's time. This period is known as nonagathe which is the time when there is no auspicious moment. Thus the sun god comes to a crossing from the old year to the new year.

A crossing was considered by our ancestors as something dangerous. Although it was believed that the sun God was a most powerful God, when he is in this in between danger period, he is out of time and it was feared that he would be powerless. Thus faced with danger and insecurity, people sought refuge in the safest place to be at the time, their place of worship. This period is also known as punya kale, the time for acquiring merit.

During the period of transition great care was taken not even to touch anything connected with fertility lest they be polluted. "Water, fire and milk are three of the most important symbols of fertility," Prof. Disanayaka said. "They are necessary for human life. To avoid touching fire during the nonagathe, the housewife puts out the fire in the hearth before the old year ends. Food is not cooked and milk is not used during this time. To avoid touching water, she brings in the water from the well before the nonagathe and they do not go to the well during this time."

Work is also a symbol of living. During the nonagathe period no work is done. The nonagathe becomes a period of play when all join in indoor and outdoor games known as the "avurudhu keli sellam." When the new year dawns, all these symbols of fertility are brought back into the house.

Seelawathie who comes from a village in Kegalle observes the new year customs in the traditional manner. "At the end of the old year, all activities must be completed before the fire is put out for the nonagathe," Seelawathie said.

"In our villages, we offer a bulath atha to our elders as a peace offering before the year ends. "The nonagathe time is mostly spent outdoors. The house doors are closed and no one visits during this inauspicious period. To while away the time, we swing on the onchili tied from large trees, sing while playing the rabana and take part in traditional new year games."

Their first transaction is with the well. "When we draw the first bucket of water, some jasmine flowers, pieces of charcoal and a copper coin are dropped into the well. At the auspicious time, we light the fire and place a new pot with new rice on the fire. We then partake of the first meal of kiribath, facing the prescribed direction and wearing clothes of the colour given for the year. After the meal, we go to the boutique nearby for ganu denu, buying rice, chillies and salt." Seelawathie and her family also observe the traditional oiling of the hair. The medicinal oil and shampoo (dehi ambula) is prepared in the temple using prescribed materials. The oiling of the hair is done by an elder in the family or village before the first bath for the new year which also has an auspicious date and time. Finally, at the auspicious time for starting work, they engage in their traditional occupation in a symbolic manner.

Maljini, living in the city, also observes traditional new year customs and auspicious times.

"When our parents were alive, we used to spend the new year with them," she said. "Now we usually spend the new year at home, observing the traditions. During the nonagathe after we put the fire out, we go to the temple and then sit quietly at home watching a video film.

When new year dawns, we follow all the traditions of lighting the hearth, cooking kiribath and having our first meal. During my mother's time, we did ganu denu with the well. Now we do not have a well so we do ganu denu with each other. I buy the traditional new year kavun, kokis, and other sweets instead of making them at home due to practical difficulties. We also buy gifts for the family members and for the staff who work for us. We continue these customs so that our children would keep up the traditions."

For Dharini, who is a Hindu, the period before the new year is a time of preparation.

"The house and the kitchen are cleaned out and washed before the new year dawns," she said.

"The auspicious times according to the stars and planetary positions are obtained from the Panchangam. For the new year meal, we prepare the milk rice with the addition of traditional items such as juggery, ghee and rose water. We also prepare other traditional food like the vades. Lingie, also a Hindu living in Colombo, says their new year celebrations are simple. On New Years day, they apply maraththuneer obtained from the temple, on their heads and have a bath. Then, dressed in new clothes they visit the temple.

According to Prof. Disanayaka, the new year customs originated with the rural agricultural society. The farmers depended on the sun and the rain for the fertility of their fields. The new year festival was a thanksgiving to the gods for the harvest.

Moving from village to town, from an agrarian society to an industrial and commercial society, belief systems and forms of society are changing. Some of the new year customs thus get adapted to suit the urban environment. For example, the practice of not going to the well during the nonagathe and the transaction with the well no longer signify since water is available on tap and few people in the city have wells. Today, banks invite customers to conduct the traditional new year custom of ganu denu. The traditional new year games and the swings which are an essential part of the village new year scene are not seen in the city. There is a lack of space and trees for this kind of activity. The traditional Avurudhu sweets such as kavun, kokis, athiraha, mun guli, asmi are made by the rural housewives in their homes, by pounding the rice from their fields. Although the Avurudhu table of sweets is still a must in many homes, the sweetmeats are bought from suppliers. Places like the Sweet House turn out as much as 50,000 of these items, remaining open on New Year's day to supply the new year tables of the city.

Traditionally, the new year's day was spent at home. The house and hearth were cleaned. Old and broken pots were replaced with new ones. New clothes were bought. It was also a time for the renewal of family ties. Children returned to the parent's home from wherever they were, to offer betel and new year gifts. This practice is still carried out to a large extent, although among the younger generation today, many choose to go away on holiday at this time. The custom of sending trays of new year sweets to one's neighbours is carried out even in the city, thus renewing ties in the neighbourhood

"The New Year festival celebrated by the communities is a unique event in the island's cultural scene," Prof. Disanayaka says.

"The festival which marks the beginning of the solar year is neither purely ethnic nor purely religious, but contains the elements of both. It carries one simple message, that the two Sri Lankan communities share a common cultural heritage, originating perhaps from the earliest times.

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