Sri Lanka’s traditional April New Year festival, celebrated by Sinhalese and Tamils, is called Aluth Avurudda.
Aluth Avurudda means “New Year” in Sinhala and is commonly translated as Sinhala and Tamil New Year. It marks the annual transition of the sun from Pisces to Aries in the traditional South Asian astrological calendar.
Families observe auspicious times for lighting the hearth, preparing milk rice, eating together, beginning work, and exchanging gifts. Traditional games and visits to relatives are also important parts of the celebration.
Although Aluth Avurudda occurs in the same general season as Songkran, it is not Thailand’s festival. The shared timing reflects related solar-calendar traditions, while the foods, customs, languages, and auspicious schedules are specifically Sri Lankan.