April is a month of celebration in Sri Lanka, as it marks the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. This is a time for families and friends to come together, exchange gifts, and indulge in some sweet treats and traditional food. One of the most significant aspects of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year is the celebration of traditional sports and games call as “Sinhala Jana Kreeda”. These sports activities not only promote physical fitness and coordination but also help to promote community spirit.
These traditional sports have been a part of Sri Lankan culture for centuries. It encompasses a wide range of activities, including outdoor games, indoor games, and traditional folk dances. Many organizations including schools, community centers, and sports clubs, organize Sinhala game events during the New Year season. These games are popular among people of all ages from kids to adults. By participating in these activities, we can preserve our cultural heritage for the next generations.
As we celebrate the Sinhala and Tamil New Year this April month, let’s talk about Sinhala traditional games and the role it plays in our cultural heritage. Hence, we are going to show you the major traditional games and sports played at the Sinhala New Year festival.
1. Breaking Pots
Breaking pots call as “Kana mutti bindeema” in Sinhala. The major item in this game is a row of clay pots containing water that suspends at a certain height. One of the pots contains something different, for example, colored water. And this is the ‘winning’ pot.
The participants are blindfolded, spun around a few times, and then handed a bamboo pole. Wild swings and swipes are common among the contestants. The unsuccessful attempts yield cheers and laughter from the watching crowd. The winner is the person who hits the correct pot. As a bonus, he ends up getting drenched in the colored water.
2. Tug of War
Tug of War or “Kamba Adeema” is a major traditional sports in Sinhala New Year. This game involves two teams pulling on opposite ends of a rope, with the objective of pulling the rope over a designated line. Tug of War is a popular team sport that requires strength, coordination, and strategy.
3. Pillow Fight
Pillow Fight or “kotta pora” is one of the most famous traditional New Year games authentic to Sri Lanka. This is a conventional pillow fight and it plays on a stout horizontal pole. There is a special pillow made of a bag stuffed with some soft material. During this game, the two players have to balance themselves on this horizontal bar while fighting.
The players have their one hand tied behind their backs. The players need to hold the pillow with the other hand. Each player attempts to knock his opponent off his perch by hitting the pillow. This is an exciting game where loud cheering from the crowds is often heard until the game ends.
4. Coconut Scraping
One of the most popular Sinhala game activities is the coconut-scraping competition. This game involves players sitting facing each other, each holding half of a coconut. The objective is to scrape off the coconut flesh from the shell as quickly as possible, using the traditional scraping tool called a “Hiramanaya.” The player who finishes scarping half of the coconut first wins.
5. Pancha Keliya
Pancha is a Sri Lankan traditional board game that is highly popular during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year season. It is an indoor game played in two groups, using five small sea shells, a coconut shell, and a game board. This game requires skill and precision to win.
6. Olinda Keliya
Olinda is another indoor New Year board game, normally played by two players seated on either side of the board. The board has nine holes, with four beads put in each. The beads are Olinda seeds that are abundant in villages.
The players have to shift the beads from one hole to the other and collect the seeds found in the hole immediately after an empty one. Ultimately the player who could collect the largest amount of Olinda beads becomes the winner of the game.
7. Lime and Spoon Race
The lime and spoon race is one of the major sports in the Sinhala New Year. In this game, participants have to run with a spoon in their mouth while balancing a lime or lemon. The first person to reach the end without dropping the lime is the winner. This fun game is popular among both kids and adults.
8. Placing the Eye on the Elephant
Placing the eye on the elephant call as “Aliyata asa thabeema” in Sinhala. This is one of the most popular traditional New Year games in Sri Lanka. First, a picture of an elephant is drawn on a blackboard without an eye. Then, each one is blindfolded and given chalk to spot the position of the eye of the elephant. The competitor who draws the eye in the most precise position wins this game.
9. Sack Race
This is a race in which players hop inside a sack or goni bag, with the objective of crossing the finish line before their opponents. Sack Races are a fun and challenging outdoor game that promotes balance and coordination.
10. Eating Buns
One of the most interesting games in Sinhala New Year is eating buns. In this activity, there are buns that suspend from a horizontal string. The contestants line up with their hands tied behind their backs. With the staring signal, they run and kneel in front of the dangling buns. The objective of the game is to finish eating the bun as quickly as possible.
This is one of the enjoyable times when contestants get a good chance to throw away their table manners. Contestants can gobble the bun as fast as they can. The first person to eat the entire bun is the winner. This is game is quite popular among kids.
11. Climbing the Greasy Pole
This is one of the most interesting New Year games in Sri Lanka. This game call as “Lissana gaha nageema” in Sinhala. A long pole made from the trunk of an areca nut tree is stuck vertically into the ground. A thick coat of slimy grease is applied to the trunk of this tree. As the trophy, a flag is placed at the apex. The contestants need to climb the tree and get the flag.
This task isn’t easy as it seems. The tree is super slippery and it needs repeated attempts until the grease is wearing off. Generally, it gets easier as the game proceeds. Who actually manages to climb his way up the slippery trunk and obtain the flag at the top is the winner.
12. New Year Princess Pageant
New Year princess pageant call as “Avurudu Kumari” Competition is among the major events in Sinhala New Year. As well, there are competitions for New Year Prince and Little New Year Princess. Usually, this pageant is the final event of all New Year game festivals. Everyone waits until this pageant because it is a very interesting event.
This beauty contest involves dressing in traditional Sri Lankan attire, a “redda” and “hattaya” for girls and a “sarong” and “shirt” for boys. Girls wear traditional jewelry and accessories, such as bangles and necklaces. The judging panel makes their final decision based on complexion, figure, teeth, hair, and youthful appearance. As well, personality and talent are taken into consideration.
This kind of competition helps children to develop their self-confidence, public speaking skills, and cultural awareness. Certainly, it promotes traditional values and celebrates the beauty and talent of young children.
These are just a few examples of the many traditional sports in Sinhala New Year celebrations. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in traditional Sinhala games, as people seek to reconnect with their cultural roots and preserve traditional knowledge. It is a pleasure to see this renewed interest in these traditional sports. If you are a tourist visiting Sri Lanka in the New Year season, try to participate in these games and have some fun with friendly locals. Happy Sinhala New Year to you all!
Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Images from Cinnamon Grand Colombo. All the copyrights are reserved by the original authors.
