Contents Welcome to Sri Lanka 4 Poya Days 6 Harvest Festival 8 Independence Day 10 Shiva Festival 12 New Year 14 May Days 16 Vesak 18 Poson Poya 20 Ramadan 22 Festival of the Tooth 24 Feast of the Assumption 26 Festival of Lights 28 Christmas 30 Glossary and Index 32
bay of bengal india gulf of mannar sri lanka indian ocean Welcome to Sri Lanka The small island of Sri Lanka lies off the southern tip of India Most Sri Lankans belong to two ethnic groups the Sinhalese and the Tamils They speak Sinhala and Tamil The government also uses English Most people in Sri Lanka are Sinhalese and follow the Buddhist religion Most Tamils follow the Hindu religion Other Sri Lankans are Muslim or Christian Did You Know Sri Lanka has two nicknames because of its shape It is called the pearl of the Indian Ocean and the teardrop of India 4
Sri Lankans have many celebrations and festivals Many of the country’s customs and traditions are more than 2,000 years old The Buddhist religion influences many of Sri Lanka’s celebrations For these events the country follows a Southern Buddhist lunar calendar In lunar calendars the dates of festivals can be different from year to year Colorful clothing music and dancing are often part of Sri Lanka’s celebrations 5
