Sinhala and Tamil New Year – The Dawn of a New Culture

It’s the last day of the New Year month and at last I'm writing something about the New Year. So the New Year...A time for celebration and a time for gatherings... A time where culture, traditions and values are highly spoken of and where the nationalism comes to life in the most fashionable and unorthodox manner.

Even though the concept of a New Year is not novel, the actions and reactions leading and following to it seem to have taken shape in an innovative nature. Sri Lanka is truly developing in that sense. So what’s special about the New Year and the dawn of this new culture?

The times have changed, and the culture is reshaping itself to face the challenging environment and competition. The so called “AWURUDU CULTURE” is gaining shape in the most unorthodox manner. Companies tagged as truly Lankan have taken the forefront in promoting the innovative New Year culture.

These companies are gifting away many gifts ranging from jewelry boxes to clocks to school bags for the New Year. Some other companies are on the process of carrying out mega sales. Planks and banners bearing the renowned word “SALE” is a prominent feature amongst many shops during the season. Surely we can be choosy and selective when there are such a number of diverse gifts on offer… But alas our exuberant moods tend to get gloomy when we realize these gifts are actually not complimentary as it should be during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year season, but rather the flowery face of “AWURUDU MARKETING”. Of course who would gift away complimentary gifts during a time such as this where the inflation is setting up new records and reaching up high standards? So one can argue that the companies are playing a fair game in a world where money rules and profit thrives over values and morals.

“AWURUDU ADVERTISING” is another form of this new culture. For decades the indigenous awurudu rabana and oil lamp symbolized true nationalism and culture that was unique to us, but alas in the modern face of Sri Lankan advertising these are only seen as vital tools of advertising. These are used to penetrate the selected market segments, and customers in the most innovative manner. Such is Sri Lanka such is a country that boasts for a 2500 year old history.

Marketing and trading the New Year is one of the many avenues that companies can attain there thoroughly sort after targets. As they say opportunities are there to be taken maximum use and attain maximum profits. So where does the fault lie? Is it in the companies or in the people or in the Sinhala and Tamil New Year?

There was a time when the New Year was thought as a time to give gifts, enrich the traditions and worship the Sun God. But surely times have changed and we have moved, but forward or backward is a question to be carefully pondered. “AWURUDU ULLELAS” have been replaced by “AWURUDU CAMPAIGNS”. “AWURUDU TRADITIONS” have been replaced by “AWURUDU MARKETING” and “AWURUDU ADVERTISING”. All aspects of the New Year have been modernized in the most subtle manner. A new culture is taking shape, a culture that is alien to Sri Lankans, a culture where money rules over values. So it is fair to argue that we are heading backwards as we always do and forced to do.

This is an era where the Sinhala and Tamil New Year should be put into practice to enrich harmony amongst a divided nation. Companies can take this as a pathway to enhance and carry out cooperate social responsibility projects and be proactive in promoting the traditions and values the nation is loosing. If companies keep on holding to their petty intentions of maximizing profits the country would be the ultimate looser and these companies would eventually perish with it. We are moving towards innovative advertising and marketing but for some reason the innovation is lacking when it comes to building harmony and values. The time has come for these companies to realize that their responsibilities lie not only in creating profits and shareholder value but also in enriching values and morals amongst people in the country.

The New Year should be a milestone not only to achieve targets but also to build harmony and morals, create goodwill and peace. Then and only then we can proudly stand as a nation and move forward and wish one another a “SUBA ALUTH AWURUDDAK” in the true essence and spirit of a Sri Lankan and as a nation that should be second to none.