Sri Lankan New Year at Dartmouth
The Sinhala and Tamil New Year falls on the 13th and 14th of April each year, a time for plenty of celebrations and family time. Being away from home at this time is hard, and I miss my family terribly. My family has many New Year traditions, and I look forward to them every April. During my first year at Dartmouth, I decided to keep these traditions alive and make a little pocket of home here in Hanover!
The Sri Lanken New Year falls upon the end of the harvest season and a transition in the astrological calendar. There are specific auspicious times at which to eat and start the New Year celebrations. A vital tradition is the boiling of milk! Here, we place a pot of milk on some firewood at a specific time and then stand around it, waiting for the milk to boil over. The person who is standing on the side to which the milk spills first is granted good luck for the upcoming year! The year that it spilled to my side, I got into Dartmouth!
My friend and I, graciously hosted by Triangle House, a Living Learning Community on campus, had a wholesome celebration to bring in the new year. We used a burner to boil the milk on the Triangle House's lawn!

To accompany the celebrations, I cooked some traditional New Year food! Kiribath (milk rice) is a dish made of rice and coconut milk, typically served on special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. It was my first time making Kiribath alone, so I was very nervous but it turned out really well! I also made some Lunu Miris, a citrusy and spicy paste made of chili flakes, onions, salt, and lime. Accompanied by a classic Sri Lankan chicken curry and bananas, it reminded me so much of home!

In Hanover, I recreate our Sinhala and Tamil New Year traditions with my Dartmouth friends and celebrate an aspect of my home every year!