✦ Island-wide · Buddhist festival
Full-moon Poya days
Every full moon is a Poya day — a Buddhist public holiday when temples fill with worshippers dressed in white.
Photo: Ekaterina Kvelidze / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Overview
Each month’s full-moon day is a Poya, a public holiday in Sri Lanka. Buddhists visit temples, often dressed in white, to make offerings and observe the precepts; some Poyas, such as Vesak, Poson and Esala, are major festivals.
For travellers it is a lovely time to visit temples, but by law alcohol and meat are not sold on Poya days, and some sites are busier than usual.
Highlights
- Temple offerings and evening lamps
- Worshippers dressed in white
Good to know
- Alcohol and meat are not sold on Poya days — plan ahead
- Popular temples and pilgrimage sites are crowded
References / Sources
- Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau: https://www.srilanka.travel
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