2023 Sinhala & Tamil New Year Messages

Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena have released their messages for Sinhala and Tamil New Year.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s New Year Message

The dawn of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year subsequent to the transition of the Sun from the house of Pisces to Aries, is considered as an extremely momentous occasion by the Sinhala and Tamil communities in the country.

On this propitious celebration, people traditionally engage in observing New Year customs at stipulated auspicious times, with the wish of securing abundant prosperity.

Last year, amidst the unprecedented economic crisis which disrupted our daily lives, we partook in the New Year rituals with untold hardship and was confined to a struggle in alleviating from this adversity.

However, I am gratified that the commencement of this year has presented a salubrious environment for us all, and therefore we should strive to be more affluent and prosperous, than today.

We can undoubtedly achieve this aspiration by unitedly moving forward as one Sri Lankan nation.

Accordingly, despite dif­ferences in political affiliation, ethnicity and religion, a fresh beginning is imperative to create a brighter future for us and our nation, in this New Year.

I wish all Sri Lankans here and abroad a happy Sinhala and Tamil New Year.

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena’s Message

Sinhala and Hindu New Year is the most significant cultural festival of Sri Lankans. We have inherited several ancient rituals that we consistently follow together at the same auspicious times and this is a unique feature that has not been practiced in any other country in the world.

We, as Sri Lankans, always wish a prosperous and bountiful new year. In view of the food and economic crisis faced by the country this year, the effort taken by our farmers in making the country rich in rice produce, thus fulfilling that aspiration should be gratefully remembered in this New Year.

Our forefathers who co-existed with nature added a new meaning to the New Year. As their children and grandchildren, there is no need for us to learn anew about food security, thrift, togetherness and harmony. What we need is to put them into practice.

The past few years have given us a lot to think about. The epidemics, economic and social crises are some of the most serious challenges we have come across in our recent history.

Let’s start the New Year, enriched with new concepts to ensure that neither we, nor the future generation encounter similar hardships.