9 years and below
My favourite sweetmeats
My favourite sweetmeats are seeni murukku, kokis and kevum. They are made in three different ways. These sweetmeats are available in shops too. Sometimes my grandmother makes seeni murukku and kokis. These sweetmeats are found only in Sri Lanka. I like seeni murukku because they are very sweet. I can eat any amount of seeni murukku. It is made out of flour, sugar and oil. All these sweetmeats are deep fried. I could eat any amount of kokis too.
Even though I like kevum so much I cannot eat more than one. By eating one kevum my tummy gets full. But I like the taste very much. When we get Avurudu plates from our neighbours, I keep them to eat every evening. I like to eat kevum when it is warm. Luckily there is a shop where we can buy these sweetmeats any time.
I really enjoy eating these sweetmeats.
Serusha Wijesinghe (9 years)
Ladies’ College, Colombo
13 – 15 years
Some Sinhala and Tamil New Year customs
Both Sinhala Buddhists and Tamil Hindus enjoy this festival and it has become an important holiday. In Sinhala households, festival customs begin with a bath on the last day of the old year and viewing of the moon on that night.
In Tamil households, at the dawn of the New Year, families rise early and collect ‘Maruthu Neer,’ a special water mixed with herbal leaves and flowers as an act of purification, anointed at the auspicious time in kovils.
Sinhalese observe religious activities during the ‘Punya Kaalaya’ followed by the lighting of the hearth – ‘Lipa Gini Melaweema’. The new hearth is lit by the lady head of the house, facing the recommended direction and a new clay pot, worshipped three times and filled with milk, is boiled, signifying prosperity, while all the members of the family gather around.
Hindus perform the traditional pooja, a ceremony to thank their gods for the previous year and to seek blessings to face the New Year with strength. Typically the lady of the family sets up a silver pot – ‘Kumbam’ with coconut on top, adorn with mango leaves and fruits on the sides. After this ceremony they visit kovils during ‘Punya Kaalam’ to be involved in spiritual rituals.
Sinhalese have their first meal at the Avurudu table – ‘Ahara Anubhavaya’ with the head of the family offering the food to all members. The traditional oil lamp is lit and the feats commences.
Hindus follow a special custom – the ‘Kaivisesham’ during which the elders present money to the young, the first financial transaction of the year. A similar custom among the Sinhalese is the ‘Weda Alleema’ and ‘Ganu-Denu kireema’ by exchanging money at the auspicious time. After the meal, the children show respect to their elders by offering sheaves of betel and the elders bless them by giving money. Another important custom is Anointing oil – ‘Hisa thel gaama’ to purify the mind and body.
After these customs and in-between, playtime commences and the celebrations move outdoors where various fun-filled activities and traditional games begin bringing families and friends together.
Lastly the custom of going to work – ‘Rakee Raksha walata pitathweema’ is the time to go to work at an auspicious time and start work for the New Year.
Neyali Abeyratna (14 years)
De Mazenod College, Kandana
