SINHALA AND TAMIL NEW YEAR MESSAGES
(FASTNEWS|COLOMBO) – New Year brings prosperity and happiness – President
Since the Sun and the Moon are the prime factors in the sustenance of life on Earth, the people worshipped the Sun and the Moon with utmost devotion since ancient times. Considering nature as divine was a habitual practice of kings and the general public, states President Maithripala Sirisena in a Sinhala and Tamil New Year message.
The message: “Likewise, the people tend to worship the Moon and the Sun annually in the New Year.
The Sinhala and Tamil communities that celebrate the rise of the Sun in the period of Aluth Avurudu in the month of Bak, also take part in the New Year ritual of viewing the new Moon.
“The New Year which approaches with the annual transition of the Sun, is a time of celebration of the timeless link between the environment, nature and man. After reaping the harvest and offering to the Buddha and the deities first and then consuming it, we commence the season of Avurudu, a period of bliss, togetherness, flourishing inter-relations, and often the period in which the people express their sense of identity as a nation. This month is named as “Bak”, since it is the season of prosperity. We name this as the New Year since it is a blossoming period of happiness and joy, in which flowers bloom and fruits ripe announcing the nature’s beauty.
“It is time we pay adequate attention to understand the deep meaning of this most precious traditional cultural ceremony called the New Year, especially as it is now submissive to the market mechanisms and consumer demands. “Although we are the children of Mother Nature, we have gradually kept it away from this most important cultural event. Now, we have reached a point where we feel the imperative need for realigning with Mother Nature.
“Proposing that while enjoying the results of the efforts of our own victories so far, we must collectively commit ourselves to fulfill the national expectations, I wish the dearest people of this country as well as the Sri Lankans living abroad a peaceful and prosperous New Year”.
New Year enlivens closeness between people, nature – PM
The lively environment of springtime vivid, delicate and energetic, announces the dawn of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year refreshingly with hopes for a new life that transcends all kinds of differences to open up new horizons, states Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a Sinhala and Tamil New Year message.
The message adds:” Concepts, customs and traditions associated with the New Year enlivens the closeness between people and nature and have been focused to build up invaluable human virtues namely love, care, brotherhood, unity, honour and respect.
“Sinhala and Tamil New Year is a national cum cultural festival celebrated across Sri Lanka evenly in the North and South to denote revival of the entire society and it is important for all of us to convince the relevance of New Year rituals in experiencing pure happiness in life.
“It is with immense pleasure; I would like to wish all of you a blissful and a bountiful New Year”.