How the dreadful PANDEMIC warns the “Biggest Harvest Festival”?
It’s true that the calendar year begins universally on 1st of January and ends on 31st of December vice versa. Have you ever been to Sri Lanka? If you are in Sri Lanka during the most colorful month, April, you won’t be able to escape the real beauty of the “New Year Festival”.
It is one of the most significant anniversaries or an occasion for both Sinhalese Buddhists and the Tamil Hindus of Sri Lankan social arena. It is probably based on the auspicious time periods stated by astrologers. So, it’s a marvelous festival which is interconnected with astrological, Hindu and Buddhist traditions and rituals. April is one of the paddy harvests seasons in the country and as a result of it the farming communities enjoy celebrating their “traditional new year” in this particular period with lots of happiness. How does this “New Year” begin? When the sun moves from the house of Pisces to the house of Aries, it is considered as the beginning of the prosperity of the year, according to the astrological beliefs.
But, in the year 2020, COVID-19 world pandemic dreadfully disturbs to the happiness of the spring festival. When considering about the historical backdrop, it is clear that, in every year, the communities have amazingly celebrated its beauty. So, all of the people try to adjust their lives according to the critical situation ensuring the well-being of the whole country in this dreadful time period.
Can you imagine? Even though, the people aren’t in a mood for the celebration just like the past decades, nature surprisingly gets ready to welcome the “harvest festival or the spring”. It is so interesting to see how nature decorates herself for the festival without the help of the humans. The vibrantly shaded flowers such as “Ehela, Erabadu” blooms in the countryside in order to demonstrate the people that “New Year” is fast approaching.
“Ehela” flowers which seems like yellow color clusters blooms sprinkling down from its branches gorgeously and also “Erabadu” is of red color and spreads its beauty and fragrance to the whole countryside.
In the same manner, the official proclamation of the “New Year” is done by coucal, with his loud vocalization. The empty countryside is awakened by the bird’s sound even in this critical situation.
As I mentioned earlier, this festival is connected with the auspicious times and the manifold traditions and rituals probably based on them. The communities prepare traditional milk rice, accompanied by many sweetmeats such as “keum, kokis, aggala” etc.
There is another special time period for starting works for the new year and to exchange the gifts with the neighbors and the relatives. But, how hard it is to continue the traditions in this dreadful pandemic situation? In a situation where the visiting of the loved ones considered as dangerous. So, the communities in Sri Lanka is adjusting to the situation. Then, the people won’t be able to travel far away places to visit their lovely relatives and friends as they did.
This world pandemic has dreadfully affected for this “Biggest cultural festival” unexpectedly. So, all the communities are waiting for a biggest celebration in next year after all these ordeals.
සුභ නව වසරක් වේවා
புத்தாண்டு வாழ்த்துக்கள்
Wish You Happy New Year
💛❤🧡💚
just leave a clap if u embrace something novel.
