Author Archives: Shanil Gunasekara

Folk Games – Sri Lanka

Nationality: Sri Lankan
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 24, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Sinhala

Folk Games – Sri Lanka

On Sinhala and Tamil New Year it is common to play folk games. My favorite is pillow fighting. The two contestants sit on an elevated horizontal pole, with one hand behind their back and a pillow in the other.  They then pound each other until one of them drops to the floor. This is a game enjoyed by children as young as 10 years of age but is usually reserved for young adults. My friends and I often compete against each other although I have never emerged the victor.  A great sense of balance is required, and the angle of attack is crucial, pure power rarely triumphs. A mattress is usually placed under the pole so as not to injure falling contestants.

Another folk game is the bun eating contest. Contestants kneel down with their hands behind their backs. The first to eat the bun that’s hanging in front of them is declared the winner. This is a game reserved for youngsters. Many variations of this game are present, sometimes donuts are used or even pieces of bread. Often contestants participate just to ease their hunger.

Climbing the grease pole is arguable the most challenging folk game at the festival. Contestants are expected to climb up a heavily greased pole to reach an object at the top, usually a flag or ball. The pole could be as tall as 15 feet. Great dexterity and speed is required for this and usually latter contestants win due to the grease being rubbed off by previous contestants.

Another common game is blindfolding contestants, spinning them, and seeing if they can use a stick or pole with which to hit hanging clay pots full of milk. This could be compared to the tradition of breaking piñatas. Victors usually get drenched in milk.

All these folk games are learnt at a young age and are usually experienced firsthand. There is no concern about them being forgotten as they are celebrated every New Year. However, I encourage people to participate in them; it helps make the festivities more enjoyable and casual.

Festival – Sri Lanka

Nationality: Sri Lankan
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 24, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Sinhala

New Year festival – Sri Lanka

The Sinhala and Tamil New Year (‘Aluth Avurudhu’ in Sinhalese or ‘Puththandu’ in Tamil) is celebrated in April, at the end of the harvest season. The actual time of the New Year is determined by astrological signs and varies depending on the year. It is traditional to clean the house, buy new clothes and to light an oil lamp on this day. Many rituals such as making ‘kiri bath’ (milk rice) and ‘ganu dhenu’ (giving and receiving money or business transactions) are done at predetermined times which are also calculated by astrological signs. Following these rituals it is common to eat ‘kaung’ (an oil cake) and ‘kokis’ (a crisp sweetmeat that was originally Dutch). People often engage in New year games and the women play on ‘raban’ (???? : drums) to herald the new year.

I particularly enjoy this time of year since it is a time our whole family engage in rituals together. Unfortunately, this year I was not able to celebrate it while in Los Angeles, since it isn’t a common practice outside Sri Lanka. New Year’s is a great time to appreciate Sri Lankan culture since it’s a public holiday and pretty much everyone celebrates it. The streets are full of performers, parks are full of New Year games and the sound of drums can be heard even in the heart of the city. It is also a great time to enjoy some traditional cuisine.

I feel that Sinhala and Tamil New Year is the most important festival in Sri Lanka because it defines the people and the country. From the food to the games and music, it portrays Sinhala and Tamil culture. I often have my foreign friends over for the day so that they learn and partake in the festivities. Most youths wait for ganu dhenu since it usually means they get money to spend for the New Year. But, my favorite custom is making ‘kiri bath’. It is placed in a clay pot over an unlit fire and kept until an auspicious time. At that time the fire is lit and the milk overflows, symbolizing abundance for the New Year. The ‘kiri bath’ is sweet milk rice that is often enjoyed during other important days such as an individual’s birthday. My family also consumes it at the end of New Year’s Day.

I learnt most of these customs by firsthand experience although my parents and grandparents guided me through the finer points. I would, without fail, follow this tradition as I grow up and pass it on to all those that are interested.

Festival – Malaysian

Nationality: Chinese
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 24, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Chinese, Malay

Festival – Malaysia

“The Qingming festival (???) is a time when my family visits the grave sites of my ancestors. During this time the family members tend to the gravesite, by cutting the grass around it and cleaning the headstone. We pray to our ancestors and offer food such as tea as well as Joss paper. Joss Paper, also known as ghost money, are sheets of paper made from bamboo or rice which are burned during ancestor worship ceremonies.”

This Chinese tradition is very personal to Fung. He explains that it is a time where he can connect with his ancestors spiritually and although he doesn’t believe in an afterlife, he feels it cannot be refuted “since its existence cannot be scientifically disproven.” One connected tradition he feels is important is the burning of accessories the deceased can utilize in the afterlife. He says that “nowadays people burn just about anything, one day I saw a person burn a mobile phone, which was quite strange, but it is good to know that people still follow the tradition even in modern times.” Upon further investigation I found certain accounts of people that make Joss figures of commodities such as cars, MP3 players and even condoms.

Fung often burns traditional Joss paper during the worship, “It is an ancient practice and I feel it is important to preserve it.” Fung mentioned that the Qingming festival, which is usually on 4th or 5th of April, also carries other customs, “Farmers sometime carry willow branches to ward off evil spirits on the day.”

The Qingming festival is more commonly known as Tomb Sweeping Day or Clear Brightness Festival. While the practice is mainly found in China it is also followed in other Asian countries such as Malaysia, where Fung lived. However, I have never come across it in Sri Lanka, even among my Chinese friends. Nonetheless, I feel that it is a very spiritual tradition, one that anyone could appreciate, regardless of creed. It gives one a chance to connect with ancestors and to show respect to the deceased, a value that people should cherish.

Folk Food – Malaysian

Nationality: Chinese
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 24, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Chinese, Malay

Folk food – Malaysia

“Zongzi, a kind of stuffed glutinous rice dumpling, is a traditional Chinese dish that is eaten in honor of a poet, Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in a river, due to his failure to warn the king about the invasion of one of their neighboring kingdoms. People used to throw the dumpling into the river to stop fish from eating his body. But nowadays, people just eat the dumplings instead of throwing it into the river.”

When questioned about Chinese traditions that interested him Fung Wei was quick to mention this particular custom. He first ate the dumplings at a young age, and was unaware of their significance until his parents taught it to him. Since it isn’t possible to throw dumplings into the river, which after some research I found out was the Miluo river, if persons don’t live in the area, it is custom to eat it on the fateful day.

The death anniversary of the poet also correlates with the Dragon boat Fetival, celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth moon of the Chinese calendar, which is in June. Fung explains that due to this correlation people have not forgotten about Qu Yuan, and while he feels the custom of throwing the dumplings in the river are outdated and somewhat meaningless in its purpose, the remembrance of the poet is an honorable activity. However, he also hinted that the only reason he knew the custom was because his parent’s Zongzi was extremely tasty, more so because he could consume it just once a year.

Fung stressed that the preparation of Zongzi required a lot of effort and skill. While the dumplings he ate were pyramidal in shape he also mentioned that they could be cylindrical. Families often pass down recipes and wrapping techniques although as of yet, Fung has not learnt it from his parents. However, he has partaken in its preparation and while there are variations in ingredients used, his family use barbeque pork and salted eggs as a filling. He mentioned that “It is not uncommon to see certain variations use dried shrimps, beans or curry chicken as a filling.”

While I have never consumed this particular form of dumpling and never heard of Qu Yuan, I feel that his remembrance is important, and the use of Zongzi would most likely ensure the survival of the memory of Qu Yuan and the tradition for generations to come.

Legend – Indian

Nationality: Sindhi
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Singapore
Performance Date: April 27, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Hindi, German

Legend – India

“There are these two heroes, Akbar and Birbal, the former was a Mughal emperor and the other supposedly his chief advisor. There are books telling hundreds of stories of the things these two guys got up to. Basically, Birbal is super smart and Akbar, while also quite wise and a good ruler at heart, tends to lose his temper, since he is emperor after all. So the stories usually involve how Birbal plays off Akbar’s weaknesses to teach him important lessons.”

Manoj first told me about this legend a year ago when we were randomly discussing childhood stories. At the time I wasn’t aware that Akbar and Birbal were real individuals and found their adventures rather amusing. However, when I later read up that they were in fact actual people I decided to ask Manoj for more information.

He first came across the two historic figures when his mother bought him ‘101 stories of Akbar and Birbal’ He was in elementary school at the time. Manoj was very amused by their adventures and feels that they teach important lessons to children, while introducing them to two historic figures and entertaining them. “It’s a mix of history, entertainment and morals,” describes Manoj.

It is common to see children’s’ books teach morals but rarely are historic figures, and even less commonly is royalty, used to teach them. I feel that more children’s books should follow the example set by ‘101 stories of Akbar and Birbal’ since it also educates in addition to entertaining and introducing morals.

While I have not read any stories on Akbar or Birbal, I have read similar books. Unfortunately, I feel that stories like this should be limited, historic figures should not be recognized purely due to adaptations in literature, it does not do justice to their legacy. On the other hand, these books do introduce youngsters to the two historic figures and maybe in the future they would pursue deeper into Akbar and Birbal.

Annotation: to enjoy some of Akbar and Birbal’s adventures you could consider reading ‘Akbar and Birbal’ by Amita Sarin and Dipankar Bhattacharya, 2005