Traditions for the young child the Sri Lankan new year festival

Every year young children witness the rituals of the New Year festival in their preschools. Hopefully they will take them to heart to be followed in adulthood.

Words - Shanthi Wijesinghe

Setting the pace for each generation is a definite way forward in instilling the values and traditions of our culture. Besides the delectable sweetmeats, traditional games, special clothes and designated colours, children should be acquainted with the history of our civilization during their early years. These years should not be wasted as the brain absorbs the information and stores them as memories. Adults may not accept the astrological calendar but the rituals are a wealth of information to growing minds. 

Early Preparations

At the beginning of March each year the matriarch of the family would take account of what was needed and would speak about the preparations from dawn until dusk. To the young child that first New Year would always be special as it would be his/her first time observing the excitement, anticipation and the bustle in the home. 
Children were asked to make their own lists (pictures or word lists) and would be taken shopping well in advance. Unlike in our topsy-turvy world children would be given plenty of time to think of suitable gifts for the elders, siblings and cousins. They did witness overcrowded shops in the main city areas and learnt the art of shopping for a bargain!  Children learnt cash management and most of  all budgeting. 

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