News
New Year fun and frolics don’t come cheap
As the Christmas season passes and 2016 approaches elaborate arrangements are in train to celebrate the New Year – but there can be a hefty price tag.
While the dawn of the New Year will be welcomed with solemn rejoicing in religious ceremonies, big-name hotels are going all out with dinners, dances and shows reaching new heights of indulgence.
For Rs. 25,000 a head, one five-star hotel in Colombo will offer dinner with a trip down memory lane. Another offers a candle-light dinner for the same price.
Tickets to a New Year’s Evedinner-dance featuring two top bands will set you back Rs. 20,000.
Yet another establishment plans what it calls the biggest countdown to the New Year with a fireworks display lighting up the sky for half an hour.
Near Colombo, a leading tourist hotel will put on what it calls the largest beach party, with prices ranging from Rs. 5,000 to 15,000 with a buffet dinner, state-of-the art lighting and top DJs. Other smaller hotels in and around Colombo will be charging Rs. 2,500-3,000 per head for their functions.
More events have been organised at hotels in Tangalle, Galle, Matara, Trincomalee, Kandy, Negombo and other towns.
People are expected to flock to religious ceremonies, including midnight services at Catholic and Protestant churches and the chanting of pirith, with Hindu ceremonies to take place on January 1.
Shoppers in Colombo are snapping up festive bargains as retailers slash prices to cope with tough trading conditions.
“It’s been hectic,” said Rebecca Johnson, 22, clutching a gold-wrapped box tied with ribbon.
“I’ve been busy shopping for everyone. But I’m finished for today. I’ve been people-watching. It’s so mild – people are even out in T-shirts. It seems upbeat, and it’s nice to see the decorations.”
Twenty-five-year-old Inshaf Iqbal who was shopping for a gift for his girlfriend for the New Year felt that despite the bustle the pre-New Year rush was not as frenzied as in previous years.
Prices have fallen consistently throughout the year, with supermarkets in particular facing relentless competition from discounters.
A well-known online shopping website, however, stated that compared to the last year, Christmas and New Year sales increased by nearly 45 per cent, indicating that shoppers increasingly rely on the internet for Christmas purchases instead of queuing up in stores.
Targeting tourists in Colombo, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and the Ministry of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs organised a grand Christmas event including a food festival, exhibitions, cultural shows, a Christmas and New Year bazaar and carol singing.
The state Christmas festival was held at the Jaffna municipal council ground early this week under the patronage of President Maithiripala Sirisena. The Navy Band provided music for carol singing and dances celebrating the birth of Jesus.