Sri Lanka Festivals and Holidays: A Month-by-Month Calendar

Sri Lanka's calendar is full of Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian festivals. Many follow the lunar calendar, so dates change every year — check the current year's dates before you travel. Festivals can be the highlight of a trip, but they also affect transport, accommodation and opening hours.

Poya days: a holiday every full moon

Every full-moon day (poya) is a public holiday, sacred to Buddhists. On poya days:

• Buddhists visit temples, often dressed in white, and many eat vegetarian food.
• Sale of alcohol is banned; wine stores and many bars close.
• Some shops and businesses close; trains and buses are busier.
• Temples are lively and atmospheric — a great time to visit respectfully.

January

• Duruthu Poya — celebrates the Buddha's first visit to Sri Lanka. The Duruthu Perahera at the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara near Colombo features dancers, drummers and elephants.
• Thai Pongal (mid-January) — a Tamil harvest festival honouring the sun god, when families boil new rice in milk until it overflows. Celebrated especially in Jaffna and the hill country.

February

• Independence Day (4 February) — parades and ceremonies in Colombo.
• Navam Perahera — on Navam Poya, a large procession organised by Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo, with elephants, dancers and drummers.
• Maha Shivaratri (February or March) — a Hindu night vigil in honour of Shiva.

March and April

• Sinhala and Tamil New Year (Avurudu), 13–14 April — the biggest family festival of the year, timed by astrologers. Families light the hearth at an auspicious time, cook kiribath (milk rice), exchange gifts and play traditional games. Many businesses close for several days, transport is packed as people travel home, and hill stations like Nuwara Eliya fill up with holidaymakers in April.
• Good Friday and Easter — celebrated by Christian communities, especially around Negombo.

May

• Vesak Poya — the most important Buddhist festival, marking the birth, enlightenment and passing of the Buddha. Towns are decorated with paper lanterns (kudu) and huge illuminated panels (pandals) depicting stories from the Buddha's life, and free food stalls (dansal) serve everyone. Colombo, Kandy and Kelaniya are spectacular at night.

June

• Poson Poya — celebrates the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BCE. Pilgrims flock to Mihintale and Anuradhapura.

July and August

• Kandy Esala Perahera — ten nights of processions in Kandy honouring the Sacred Tooth Relic, one of Asia's great festivals. Read our Esala Perahera guide.
• Kataragama Festival — a major pilgrimage festival at Kataragama, sacred to Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims, with fire-walking and processions. Some pilgrims walk for weeks along the ancient Pada Yatra route from the north.
• Vel Festival — a Hindu chariot procession in Colombo.
• Nallur Festival (August–September) — about 25 days of festivities at the Nallur Kandaswamy Temple in Jaffna, ending with the chariot procession. See our Jaffna itinerary.

September to November

• Deepavali (October or November) — the Hindu festival of lights, celebrated with oil lamps, sweets and new clothes, especially in the north and the tea country.
• Il Poya (November).

December

• Unduvap Poya — marks the arrival of Sanghamitta Theri with a sapling of the sacred Bodhi tree. It also opens the Adam's Peak pilgrimage season. See our Adam's Peak guide.
• Christmas — widely celebrated, with decorations in Colombo and big celebrations in Negombo's Catholic communities.

Islamic festivals

Eid al-Fitr (the end of Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha are public holidays. Their dates move about 11 days earlier each year.

Tips for travelling during festivals

• Book accommodation early for Kandy during the Perahera, Jaffna during Nallur and anywhere around Avurudu.
• Expect closures of shops and some restaurants on poya days and over New Year.
• Dress modestly and follow local customs at religious events. See our culture and etiquette guide.
• Check the dates for the year you're travelling — most festivals follow the lunar calendar.