Easter in Sri Lanka
Easter in Sri Lanka
Are you considering spending Easter in Sri Lanka? The Christian Festival takes place at the same time as Sinhala & Tamil New Year.
Visitors to the country should be aware that Easter Holidays also coincide with Sinhala & Tamil New Year. This is the biggest holiday for Buddhist Sinhalese and Hindu Tamils.
Therefore we recommend that you book accommodation early so you are not disappointed.
Public Holidays in Sri Lanka
The Government issue details of all public holidays at their website.
It is worth checking these dates so that you can plan your holiday accordingly.
In 2023, Good Friday is on the 7th April and is a public holiday in Sri Lanka.
Sinhala & Tamil New Year
Sinhala & Tamil New Year is on the 13th April annually (or 14th on a leap year).
It is the time that the Sinhala and Tamil people celebrate their New Year.
It also coincides with the end of the harvest and the start of the South West Monsoon season.
The New Year is a Buddhist and Hindu festival is a time when people exchange gifts.
However, it is also public holiday and is enjoyed by all Sri Lankans.
Is Easter celebrated in Sri Lanka?
The Sri Lanka Easter Celebration
Easter is the day that the Christian world celebrates the Risen Christ. In most cases, it is observed quietly in the bigger churches of Sri Lanka. Family members and friends who have adopted the Christian faith get together during this time.
However, Sri Lanka is a Multi Faith country and many families in the country are not Christians.
According to Cultural Atlas https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/sri-lankan-culture/sri-lankan-culture-religion the breakdown of faiths in 2016 was as follows;
70% Buddhist
12% Hindu
9% Muslim
6% Christian
Celebrations and Traditions
The Easter celebrations are typically minimal.
In the larger cities, people often attend special church services on this day.
Many churches also hold community-wide feasts. This is not only to feed the congregation, but also the needy in the community.
Many families also plan private Easter celebrations and gatherings. Easter egg hunts are not a tradition that is observed in Sri Lanka.
If you have plans to visit Sri Lanka during Easter, you may or may not encounter celebrations.
You can find a list of churches for your faith by a simple Google Search if you want to participate in the celebrations.
Since Easter falls on a Sunday each year, most government offices, banks, and schools are closed already.
Also, since this coincides with the New Year celebration, you are more likely to run into groups of people celebrating this, rather than Easter.
The weather in the country is beautiful during this time of year which it makes a very good time to visit.
If you are going during Easter, just don’t expect large celebrations around the cities & towns as only a small number of the population follows Christianity.
However, if you visit Sri Lanka over the Christmas Period, you will see Christmas Trees, Christmas Lights and a higher level of acknowledgment of the special time of the year.
Is it a good time to visit Sri Lanka
Responsible Travel advise
“In terms of school holidays, the northern hemisphere summer break is the perfect time to go to northern Sri Lanka. This region is rain free in Jul-Aug, although it’s monsoon season down south. It also means you can get a good long break in. Christmas is gorgeous, as is Easter in the south, with dry, hot weather Dec-Apr, but you need to book well in advance and prices do hike”.
Hotels can be busy during Easter in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is seeing a steady increase in tourists since more flights started coming to the country in November and December 2022.
The tourist statistics for the country are detailed by the Sri Lanka Tourist Development Authority on a monthly/weekly basis on their website.
As Sinhala & Tamil New Year coincides with Easter Holidays foreign tourists have to compete with local tourists for accommodation during that weekend.
We have seen an increase in enquiries in 2023 from Sri Lankan tourists earlier than in 2022.
Book your Easter Holiday in Sri Lanka Early!
We would therefore recommend booking your hotel accommodation for this period early to avoid disappointment.
Easter at GlenMyu Estate, Sri Lanka
As we only have 3 guest bedrooms at the 5 acre estate in the Sri Lankan Hill Country we would also recommend booking your stay early.
If you want to find out more details please visit our website or contact Ruwanthi by WhatsApp on 00 94 752 999 272.
You may be lucky and we may have new ducklings or chicks around the time you arrive which would make Easter this year extra special! Even if they don’t arrive at the time the 20 + ducks and 20 chickens are a wonderful sight to see as they roam around the estate.
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