New year marked by cultural group

NEW year celebrations took place for the region’s Sri Lankan community in Creswick last Saturday.

The Sri Lankan Australian Association of Ballarat, also known as SLAAB, hosted the annual event at Doug Lindsay Reserve.

More than one hundred members and their families attended the celebrations which included new year rituals, dancing, sweets, and live music and entertainment.

It is an event of national importance for the community where people of different ethnicities and religions celebrate together.

Sri Lankan astrology states that the new year begins when the sun moves from the house of Pisces to the house of Aries.

“It happens soon after the rainy season is finished and it’s going into spring, and that’s when the harvesting happens so it’s pretty much a harvest festival,” said SLAAB president Dilshan Ousmand.

“It’s the biggest festival that’s celebrated in Sri Lanka, so as big as Christmas or Easter in Australia.”

Mr Ousmand said event in Creswick was a mix of formal traditions and fun.

“One of the older traditions is that every household will boil a pot of milk at the entrance to the house,” he said.

“The milk pours out of the pot into the fire meaning the house has good luck for the rest of the year.”

As part of the event Sri Lankan sweets were served with special foods that are only made for the new year.

Mr Ousland likened them to hot cross buns at Easter.

“There’s a lot of colour and grandeur to it and then enjoying the food afterwards,” he said.

“It’s about getting together as traditionally in Sri Lanka people will take at least a week off work and go to their parents’ house or grandparents’ house and enjoy the time together.

“A lot of people are living away from their families, so we get together to have a family like atmosphere.”