When planning a trip to Sri Lanka it’s important to arrange your itinerary around the numerous Sri Lankan public holidays and festivals. Sri Lanka enjoys a relatively high number of public celebrations during the year and these can affect travel and business opening hours.
Whether you’re coming to Sri Lanka to celebrate one of these festivals or if you’re keen to know if these events may delay or disrupt your trip, knowing what is being celebrated and when is crucial. To help you prepare adequately for your trip the following article will provide a complete guide to the public and mercantile holidays in Sri Lanka that you may encounter on a visit.
Sri Lanka celebrates a full moon or “Poya” festival once a month. The exact dates for these festivities vary each year as they fall just before or after the day of the full moon itself. During each of these festivities, shops and businesses will close.
Vesak Poya is, however, a little different from the others and carries further significance. This festival lasts an extra 2 days beyond the Poya day itself as it celebrates the Buddha’s birthday.
Each Poya is meant to mark an important moment during the Buddha’s life and in the history of the Buddhist religion itself. During these festivity days, shops and businesses will usually remain closed and the selling of alcohol and meat is forbidden.
Poya |
Month |
| Duruthu Full Moon Poya | January |
| Navam Full Moon Poya | February |
| Madin Full Moon Poya | March |
| Bak Full Moon Poya | April |
| Vesak Full Moon Poya | May |
| Poson Full Moon Poya | June |
| Esala Full Moon Poya | July |
| Nikini Full Moon Poya | August |
| Binara Full Moon Poya | September |
| Vap Full Moon Poya | October |
| Ill Full Moon Poya | November |
| Unduvap Full Moon Poya | December |
In addition to the monthly Poya festivals, Sri Lanka also celebrates 9 other religious festivities throughout the year. Due to the broad mix of religions practiced by the population of the country, there are holidays dedicated to Hindu, Muslim and even Christian celebrations.
Like with the Poya these are observed by businesses and banks, which will be closed or open for fewer hours during the duration of the festivals. Additionally, on occasions where the date of a public holiday falls on a weekend, the government sometimes grants banks and businesses a holiday in lieu on the next working day.
Festival |
Duration |
Religion |
Date |
| Tamil Thai Pongal Day | 1 day | Hindu | Mid-January |
| Mahasivarathri Day | 1 day | Hindu | Falls between Late February – early March |
| Good Friday | 1 day | Christian | Falls between late March-early April |
| Tamil New Year | 2 days | Hindu | Early April |
| Id-Ul-Fitr | 1 day | Muslim | Falls between May – June |
| Idul Adha | 1 day | Muslim | Falls between July – September |
| Deepavali Festival Day | 1 day | Hindu | Falls between October – November |
| Milad-Un-Nabi | 1 day | Muslim | Falls between October – early December |
| Christmas Day | 1 day | Christian | December 25th |
In addition to its many religious holidays, the country also celebrates a number of non-religious, secular national holidays. In these cases, the vacation days are dedicated to celebrating the nation’s independence and the country’s workforce. These dates include:
Festival |
Date |
| National Day | February 4th |
| Labor Day | May 4th |
In addition to these national festivals, there are also local celebrations that are unique to the country. One of these, which is both popular with locals and tourists alike, is Kandy Esala Perahera, which is held to venerate a sacred tooth that once belonged to the Buddha.
This lavish and colorful Buddhist festival, sometimes colloquially known as Sri Lanka’s elephant festival, is celebrated during August and is a truly once in a lifetime experience. Featuring fire dancers, bright costumes, local music, and an elephant procession, this is a cultural festival unlike any other.
Sri Lanka is a land of celebration and with the nation’s rich mix of different cultures and beliefs, there’s always a lot going on. However, with the right information about these special occasions and a little forward planning, any trip to this beautiful land will run a lot smoother.
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