Christians illuminated lanterns, sang devotional songs, and organized free food stalls as part of the festivities
St. Nicholas' International College in Negombo organized dansala, a free food stall, on the occasion of Poson Day on June 3. (Photo – supplied)
Christians in Sri Lanka joined Buddhists in celebrating Poson Day, which marks the arrival of Buddhism to the island nation in the Indian Ocean over 2,000 years ago and holds immense importance for its Buddhist community.
Christians took part in illuminating lanterns, singing devotional songs, and organizing free food stalls as part of the Poson festivities, which have been a low-key affair in the past four years due to the Easter Sunday terror attacks in 2019, the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, and the economic crisis that gripped the island nation in 2021.
Many Christian schools, churches, institutions and houses were decorated with lanterns. Some of them put up free food stalls to join Buddhists to celebrate the festival, observed on the full moon day of June. This year, it fell on June 3. The day is second only in importance to Vesak, celebrated on the day of the full moon in May.
Caritas Sethsarana, the social arm of the archdiocese of Colombo, organized Bakthi Geetha, a devotional song in praise of Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.
On June 3, Caritas Sethsarana organized the Bakthi Geetha at Bodhirajarama Maha Viharaya (Angurukaramulla temple), one of the well-known temples in Negombo, a predominantly Catholic town, north of the capital Colombo.
Father Lester Wijesuriya, coordinator of inter-religious dialogue of Colombo archdiocese, Father Cisvan De Croos, episcopal vicar of the Negombo region, and six priests attended the event in Negombo.
Diluni Tharangani, the project coordinator, said over 150 children, including 32 Catholics, eight Catholic priests, three Muslim clerics, one Hindu seer, and 18 Buddhist monks attended the function.
"The event took place from 7 pm to 12 midnight and over a hundred children dressed in white sang on a colorful stage," Tharangani told UCA News.
She said that over a thousand pilgrims participated in the inter-religious harmony event in Negombo.
The Church-run St. Nicholas' International College at Nelumpitiya in Negombo organized a kadala dansala (free food stall) on June 3.
S. Fernando, a student, said that they distributed boiled chickpeas to pilgrims and neighbors.
The faithful from St. Cajetan's church at Welihena in Negombo organized a dansala to serve pilgrims in the morning on June 3.
All liquor and butcher shops in Sri Lanka remain closed during the week of the Poson festival every year.
Of Sri Lanka's 22 million people, 70 percent are Buddhists, 13 percent Hindus, 10 percent Muslims, and 7 percent Christians.
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