Sri Lankan New Year celebrated in Seoul

The Sinhala and Tamil New Year was celebrated by the Sri Lanka Embassy and the Sri Lanka Students’ Association in South Korea at Hangan Park Grounds in Seoul on Saturday 30 April, with the participation of the embassy staff and their families, Sri Lankan students and their friends, and Korean friends. 

The New Year event included the playing of traditional Avurudu games, a cricket match, selection of ‘Avurudu Kumara’ and ‘Avurudu Kumari’, as well as Korean games and traditional dances. The event was organised in collaboration with Korea Culture Association and was sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Support was also extended by some leading Korean and Sri Lankan companies and entrepreneurs. The full day event was a great success. 

The traditional New Year is celebrated when the sun moves from ‘Meena Rashiya’ (House of Pisces) to ‘Mesha Rashiya’ (House of Aries), and marks the end of the harvesting season.