Holidays Of Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, a large number of holidays are celebrated, both state and religious in nature (official state dates, full moon days, festivals, New Year). There are quite a lot of such days during the year and in overwhelming cases they are declared days off, and therefore, not without reason, the country is considered one of the most vacationing. At the same time, Sri Lanka adopted a five-day working week with weekends on Saturday and Sunday.

Given the fact that Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country, holidays are defined here and holidays related to Buddhism are celebrated everywhere. But Hindu, Christian and Muslim holidays are celebrated with no less scope. All religious holidays are celebrated in accordance with the lunar calendar, and therefore it is worthwhile to know in advance the day on which this or that event falls, despite the fact that the dates of national holidays are determined according to different calendars (Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic and Gregorian).

Arriving tourists should take into account that during public holidays, even religious ones, all state offices, banks, enterprises, some shops do not work, it is forbidden to sell alcohol.

Below are the main holidays celebrated in Sri Lanka (dates without a year are celebrated at a strictly defined time, dates with a year are not clearly defined and are set annually at different times according to a certain calendar).

Calendar of holidays and weekends in Sri Lanka

• January 1 – New Year's day
• 14 January 2014 (3 January 2015)-Mawlid al-Nabi (Milad-un-Nabi, Prophet Muhammad's birthday)
• 14 January 2014 (15 January 2015) - Tamil Thai Pongal (harvest festival)
• January 15, 2014 (January 5, 2015) - Duruthu Poya (Duruthu Perahera, Duruthu Perahera), the main events are held in the temple Kelaniya (Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya), which is 10 km east of Colombo.
• February 4-Independence Day (National Day) (1948). Colombo
• February 14, 2014 (February 3, 2015) - Navam Poya (Navam Perahera, Navam Perahera), main events are held Gangaramaya Temple (Gangaramaya Temple) (Colombo)
• February 27, 2014 (February 17, 2015) - Maha Shivaratri (Great Night Of Shiva, Maha Shivaratri)
• March 16, 2014 (March 5, 2015) - Medin Poya
• April 13-14-Sri Lankan New Year (Sinhala and Tamil New Year's)
• April 14, 2014 (April 4, 2015) - Bak Poya
• 18 April 2014 (3 April 2015) - Good Friday before Easter (Good Friday)
• May 1-International Labor Day (Mayday)
• 14-15 May 2014 (1-2 June 2015 – - Vesak Poya (Vesak Poya, Buddha's birthday).
• June 12, 2014 (June 2, 2015) – Poson Poya The main events are held in Anuradhapura and Michinale.
• July 12, 2014 (July 31, 2015) - Esala Poya
• 29 July 2014 (17 July 2015 – - Eid ul Fitr (Id-Ul-Fitr, end of Ramadan)
• July-Skanda Festival (held in Kataragama, lasts 14 days)
• July-Nallur festival (held in Jaffne, lasts 25 days)
• August 10, 2014 (August 29, 2015) – Nikini Poya
• Late July-early August-Esala Perahera festival (held in Kandy, lasts 10 days)
• September 8, 2014 (September 28, 2015 – - Binara Poya
• October 5, 2014 (September 24, 2015) – Eid al - Adha (the end of the Hajj to Mecca)
• October 7, 2014 (October 27, 2015) - Vap Poya
• October 23, 2014 (November 11, 2015) - Deepavali (or Diwali, festival of lights)
• November 6, 2014 (November 26, 2015) – Il Poya
• December 6, 2014 (December 25, 2015) - Unduvap Poya
• December 25-Christmas day