From President Maithripala Sirisena
Celebration of timeless link between nature and man
Since the Sun and the Moon are the prime factors in sustenance of life on earth, people worshipped these planets with utmost devotion from ancient times. Considering nature as divine was the habitual practice of kings and the public.
Likewise, people tend to worship the Sun and the Moon 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 and then consuming it, we commence the season of Avurudu, a period of bliss, togetherness, flourishing inter-relations, and often the period in which 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 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 market mechanisms and consumer demand. Although we are the children of Mother Nature, we have gradually kept this mother away from our most important cultural event.
Now, we have reached a point where we feel the imperative need for realigning with the Mother Nature.
While enjoying the results of the efforts of our own victories so far, we must collectively commit ourselves to fulfill national expectations. I wish the people of this country as well as Sri Lankans living abroad a peaceful and prosperous New Year.
From Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
Cultural festival celebrated across the country
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.
Concepts, customs and traditions associated with the New Year enlivens the closeness between people and nature and have been focused to build 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 - in the North and South to denote society’s revival. It is important for all of us to be convinced of the relevance of New Year rituals in experiencing happiness in life. I wish all of you a blissful and a bountiful New Year.
From Speaker Karu Jayasuriya
Avurudu creates many social values
Civilisation bears evidence to man’s close association with nature. The Easterners treated themselves as a part of nature as evidenced by their age-old custom of sun-worship.
From time immemorial our ancestors believed in the influence of the sun on life. The commemoration of the Sinhala-Hindu New Year which identifies this relationship creates many social values.
The traditional custom on the part of the entire community to begin work at an auspicious time and wishing each other well is of vital importance for social cohesion.
The tradition of worshipping elders and teachers, engaging in religious practices inherent in our culture reminds us of our social obligations.
All communities in Sri Lanka irrespective of ethnic or religious differences getting together to celebrate the Sinhala and Hindu New Year which heralds a new era of reconciliation.
I wish this unity will lay the foundation for a prosperous Sri Lanka and a Happy New Year for all.