Things to Know About Sri Lankan Culture
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Things to Know About Sri Lankan Culture
Sri Lanka is a country with a very diverse culture. Religion permeates many aspects of life in Sri Lanka and is a key element of diversity. Buddhist and Hindu temples, as well as mosques and churches with their own colourful rituals, are the most visible features of the Sri Lankan cultural landscape.
If you are planning to travel to Sri Lanka to see and experience Sri Lankan culture more closely, you will need to obtain a tourist Sri Lanka visa .
What is the Food Culture Like in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lankan cuisine is primarily influenced by South Indian, Indonesian and Dutch cuisine. Rice is a staple food in Sri Lanka and is often consumed daily, while spicy dishes are a favorite for lunch and dinner. Toddy and arrack, both made from palm tree sap, are popular alcoholic beverages in Sri Lanka.
Most Sri Lankan cuisine consists of boiled or steamed rice served with spicy curry, and another well-known rice dish is kiribath, which means milk rice.
Curries in Sri Lanka are not limited to meat or fish based dishes, there are also vegetable and even fruit curries. A typical Sri Lankan meal consists of a “main curry” (fish, chicken or mutton) and several other curries made with vegetables and lentils.
In Sri Lankan cuisine, side dishes include pickles, chutneys and sometimes very hot “sambols”. The most famous of these is coconut sambol, made from scraped coconut mixed with chili powder, dried Maldivian fish and lime juice.
What are the Traditional Foods of Sri Lanka?
Traditional dishes of Sri Lanka are listed below.
- Appam
- Kukul Mas Curry
- Lamprais
- Parippu
- Fish Ambul Thiyal
- Polos
- Gotu Kola Sambol
Traditional Drinks of Sri Lanka
Below are the traditional drinks of Sri Lanka.
- Tea
- Toddy
- Arrack
- Coconut water
- Lion
What is the Dress Culture Like in Sri Lanka?
Although there is no official national costume in Sri Lanka, the sari for women and the sarong for men are widely known. Men's clothing traditions in Sri Lanka are simpler and clearer with sarongs and trousers. Women's national dress in Sri Lanka depends on age, marital status and events, and is mostly a sari or half-sari.
What is the Dance Culture Like in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka is home to a variety of dance styles, including classical, folk and dance drama such as Kandyan dance. Sri Lanka has 3 main regional dance styles, called Udarata (Kandy), Pahatharata (Southern Regions) and Sabaragamu (Kegalle and Rathnapura districts in Sabaragamuwa province).
What is the Music Culture Like in Sri Lanka?
The two biggest influences on Sri Lankan music come from Buddhism and Portuguese colonial rule. The Portuguese arrived in the 15th century, bringing with them cantiga ballads, ukuleles and guitars, as well as African slaves who further diversified Sri Lanka's musical roots. In Sri Lanka, these slaves were called kaffrinha, and their dance music was called baila.
Traditional Sri Lankan music includes the hypnotic Kandyan drums; drumming is part of the music in both Buddhist and Hindu temples in Sri Lanka. Most western regions of Sri Lanka follow western dance and music.
Sri Lankan Sports Culture and Most Popular Sports
Sports play a very important role in Sri Lankan culture. The most popular sport in Sri Lanka is cricket, and as such there are many cricket grounds scattered across the island. Sri Lanka has become a force in international cricket, winning the 1996 Cricket World Cup and then the ICC World Twenty20 in 2014. Sri Lanka has also been a five-time Asia Cup champion. Sri Lankans hold many world records, including highest Test wicket-taker, ODI wicket-taker, T20I wicket-taker, highest Test total.
Volleyball is the national sport of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka's Special Days and Celebration Traditions
In Sri Lanka, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year is a major cultural event. The Sinhala and Tamil New Year Festival falls in the month of April (also known as the month of Bak), when the sun moves from Meena Rashiya (House of Pisces) to Mesha Rashiya (House of Aries). Unusually, in Sri Lanka, both the end of one year and the beginning of the next do not occur at midnight, but at separate times (nona gath) determined by astrologers, with a few hours between them. During the New Year in Sri Lanka, both children and adults often wear traditional clothing during the festivities, but the clothes must be washed and very clean.
Code of Conduct and Cultural Values You Should Pay Attention to in Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, it is not acceptable to physically touch a monk, take a selfie with a Buddha statue, or turn your back to a Buddha statue as it is considered disrespectful.
When visiting religious sites or temples in Sri Lanka, you should dress appropriately. Alcohol is not served or sold on Full Moon Poya Days, and meat is not sold in markets . Also, if you have any Buddha tattoos on your body, you should take care to cover them up, as having an image of Buddha on your body is considered disrespectful in Sri Lanka .