What to know before you go.
Researched by Sarisara, with sources.
The Sinhala and Tamil New Year, called Aluth Avurudu by Sinhalese and Puthandu by Tamils, is celebrated together across Sri Lanka on 13 or 14 April every year. It marks the sun’s move from the astrological House of Pisces to the House of Aries, and traditionally also the end of the harvest season. Unlike most new year celebrations, the exact moment is set by astrology rather than midnight: the sun’s crossing takes about 12 hours and 48 minutes, and the old year does not simply end where the new one begins.
Between the two years sits a Nonagathaya, a neutral period in which all work, business and normal daily activity stop nationwide. During this time people do not cook or work, but instead visit temples, play traditional games, and spend time with family. When the Nonagathaya ends, everything is timed by the astrologer’s calculated moments: lighting the hearth and cooking the first pot of milk rice (kiribath), eating the first mouthful of food, and making the first business transaction of the year all happen at specific, pre-set times. People bathe with herbal oils and light an oil lamp as part of the rituals, and traditionally wear freshly washed, clean clothing because it is meant to be pure for the new year.
Most shops and businesses close for about a week around the holiday, and almost everyone travels to be with family, making roads very busy in the days just before and after. It is one of the very few occasions that is genuinely shared, in the same form, by both the Sinhalese and Tamil communities across the island.
April National
The new year falls on 13 or 14 April each year, timed by astrology (the sun's move from Pisces to Aries); businesses typically close for about a week around the date
The exact dates follow the moon and are confirmed each year closer to the time.
Free to watch and take part.
This is a national holiday observance, not a ticketed event.
No dress code applies to visitors; Sri Lankans traditionally wear freshly washed, clean clothing for the new year itself.
Not dressed right? Not confirmed by this research.
Exact clock times for each ritual moment are set by astrologers and change every year.
No single organiser — a nationwide cultural and astrological observance Official website
Island-wide, Sri Lanka
It means “may you live long”. It is how we say hello in Sinhala, and how we greet you every time you come back.
One free account keeps your trips, your saved places and your messages with your guide in one place.
Fire dancers light the road before the elephants of the Esala Perahera.
