Sri Lankan community marks New Year with games and food

Avurudu is generally celebrated on 13 April or 14 April when the sun moves from Meena Rashiya, the house of Pisces, to Mesha Rashiya, the house of Aries. It also marks the end of the harvest season and of spring.

Organiser Shihan Fernando said that astrology was a big part of Sri Lankan culture, especially among the Buddhist community.

‘During this day Sri Lankans enjoy their time with friends and families,’ he said.

‘Feasting various sorts of seasonal food, sweets and most importantly taking part in Avurudu games which are widely enjoyed by everyone.’

Sri Lanka is home to many cultures, languages and ethnicities, with the Sinhalese people forming the majority of the population, followed by the Sri Lankan Tamils.

Avurudu is one of the few festivals celebrated across the country.

Mr Fernando moved to Guernsey with his wife back in 2022 from Sri Lanka.

‘So far Guernsey has treated me very well,’ he said.

‘I love being here. It is a safe and a calm country, with a lovely bunch of people.’

There are around 30 or 40 people of Sri Lankan heritage in Guernsey, and about half of them came along to the event at St Saviour’s Community Centre on Saturday.

Games included pin the eye on the blind elephant, lime and spoon race and a challenge to eat buns with your hands tied behind your back.

Traditional foods on offer included ‘milk rice’, rice cooked in coconut milk which is prepared for every special occasion in Sri Lanka and other Avurudu sweets such konda kavum, a type of oil cake, mun kavum, green beans coated with rice flour, and pani walalu, coils of deep fried fermented split black gram paste.

‘We had a few things delivered from UK this year,’ Mr Fernando said.

‘But we should hopefully make it ourselves next year.’

Mr Fernando said the community was planning more celebrations in May for the festival of Vesak which commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha, which are all said to have happened on the same date.