Traditions related to New Year festival
Sri Shastararavinda Pirivena, Ibbagamuwa, Polgolla organised a
Sinhala New Year celebration demonstrating many traditions, customs and
games associated with the festival in the past but were fading away
today. Pirivena students, staff and villagers joined the occasion. They
wore traditional Sinhala costumes for the event. Auspicious times of the
new year are determined by astrological calculations which coincide with
the Maha paddy harvesting season, which is the prosperous time of the
year for farmers. Most traditions in the countryside are connected to
paddy farming.
Olinda Keliya, a board game popular among women and children is
played during the new year festival. The board is known as Olinda poruwa,
and the seeds as Olinda seeds. While the game is being played poems are
recited by the players.
Here, farmers perform a tradition related to paddy harvesting while
children play Olinda Keliya. |