Korean Expat Community for National Disasters

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Hello everyone,

This year, my husband and I celebrated the Sri Lankan New Year (Avurudu) for the first time without our family and without being in Sri Lanka. It was a new and emotional experience for both of us. We are living in South Korea now, and although we were far from home, we still wanted to keep our traditions alive.

We missed the sounds of the koha bird, the smell of fresh flowers, and the joy of being surrounded by family. But even though we were far away, we didn’t let the distance stop us from celebrating. Together, we made traditional food like kiribath (milk rice), kokis, and kaum. It was not easy to find all the ingredients here, but we tried our best with what we had. Making these foods brought us a lot of happiness and reminded us of home.

We also cleaned our home and wore new clothes to mark the beginning of the New Year. Even though we couldn’t visit our parents or relatives, we video-called them and shared warm wishes. Talking to them made us feel close again, even from far away.

Spending our first Avurudu outside Sri Lanka taught us how important our culture and traditions are. We realized that even in a different country, we can still keep our traditions alive with love, effort, and togetherness. Celebrating together made us feel stronger as a couple and helped us feel less homesick.

We really missed the sounds of the rabana, the Avurudu games, and the happy faces of our loved ones. But we are also thankful that we could create a little bit of Sri Lanka in our small apartment in South Korea.

To others who are away from home during festivals, we want to say: even if you are far, your heart is still connected to your roots. Don’t be afraid to celebrate in your own way. It might be different, but it can still be beautiful.

Happy Sri Lankan New Year to everyone! May this year bring peace, health, and happiness to all of us.