A pot of milk boiling over marks the start of a new year in the Sri Lankan calendar and it was a ritual Bendigo’s 42 families from the island nation took part in at St Theresa’s primary school on Saturday morning.
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Community leader Deeptha Wickramaratna said the new year was a time to let go of past misgivings with friends and family.
The occasion is celebrated in April because that was when harvesting was typically completed and food was in abundance, Mr Wickramaratna said.
Availability of good quality jobs, education and housing in Bendigo enticed many of the Sri Lankan families from capital cities, including Melbourne.
His community in Bendigo had almost tripled since Mr Wickramaratna arrived almost eight years ago.
Many worked in the medical profession, he explained.
Among those who now called the city home was Eaglehawk general practitioner Dr Himani Abeyratne. She has lived in Bendigo for seven years.
Dr Abeyratne explained those living in Sri Lanka would celebrate with a two-day holiday, during which time they would eat, bathe and worship at ritual times,
Sri Lankans in Bendigo instead spent the weekend sharing food with other members of their community, dishes that included rice and cakes.