The ‘New Year in Paradise 2023’ festival showcasing Sinhala and Tamil New Year traditions and cultural practices to foreign tourists was held at Unawatuna beach under the guidance of Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara on Saturday (15).

The festival, which provides foreign tourists visiting the country with experiences of local cultural traditions related to the New Year, commenced on Saturday morning at Unawatuna beach under the guidance of Minister Nanayakkara.

The festival was embellished with many cultural elements related to the New Year and its traditional food table reserved for foreign tourists was a major attraction.

Many traditional New Year competitions were organised for the foreigners including hitting a hanging pot while blindfolded, placing the eye on the elephant, and climbing the greasy pole, while cultural performances with local dances and drumming were also showcased. 

A sandcastle making competition was also organised on the beach for small children visiting Sri Lanka.

A village kitchen with local sweets was part of the festival, giving tourists the experience of preparing local food.

The Ministry of Tourism and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau sponsored this New Year event.