Kids world
View(s):Sinhala and Tamil New Year
The Sinhala and Tamil New Year is one of the national festivals in Sri Lanka. The New Year begins in April, when the sun enters the sign of Aries from the sign of Pisces.
The New Year season arrives around April 13 or 14, depending on the astrological calculations.
After the Nonagathe time, the first fire is lit and a pot of milk is boiled
in a new clay pot and allowed to spill over. Dressed in white and carrying flowers, everyone goes to the temple during the nonagathe time.
The delicious smell of making oil cakes and sweetmeats, spreads all over the country during the New Year.
We go to the temple, wear new clothes and cook milk rice. All the family members come to take the New Year meal. After that we worship our elders. We share our sweetmeats with relatives and neighbours. We play New Year games. All the young members of the family worship their elders.
Just like the Sinhalese, the Hindus in Sri Lanka also celebrate the
New Year on a grand scale.
Suwin Buthpitiya (8 years)
Royal Institute, Nugegoda
I would like to see…
I would like to see the world as a better place for everyone to live in. There would be no war and the world will be really developed so every earthling would be very happy. All the countries would have underground tube trains, floating vehicles or
jet packs for every person to travel anywhere. For food, people would only need to take a healthy toffee everyday which will be provided free for everyone. If this happens then no one would worry about the expenditure needed for food consumption.
Every human needs leisure time free from work. So a day would be separated from the week, to do any leisure activity they want.
The community would be forbidden to go to work on that day. In the society, there will be many rules like, prevention of cutting trees, taking drugs or liquor, killing animals and harassment among the people. If any person dares to break those rules they will have to face sudden death!
So to make all this, a reality, I would have to become the ruler of the world. I will try my best to become that but if you want the world to be better and you ever find a genie in a wishing lamp, you know what to wish for!
Amanya Atukorale (12 years)
Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Colombo
Future of our elephants
These days in Sri Lanka, every day a majestic elephant is killed, either knocked down by a train, electrocuted or killed by a human. This majestic creature is slowly becoming extinct. People kill the majestic tusker to get its tusks. The Sri Lankan elephant has unique features yet people do not value it.
Most elephant deaths occur when they walk on the railway tracks and trains knock them down. This is unavoidable because a train cannot be stopped immediately but there are cases where humans themselves shoot the elephants to get tusks and ivory. Another reason is electric fences. Electric fences are put up to prevent the elephants from harming crops and damaging villages. Although elephants are blamed for crop destruction and killing humans, it has to be remembered that humans have invaded the elephant’s space, with development projects and clearing of jungles. Hence they have lost their habitats and this leads to human-elephant conflict.
New interventions made out of natural substances instead of electric fences should be innovated or else we could lose this majestic creature, who plays an important role in our cultural and religious events.
Elephants are slowly becoming extinct and one day they will. Then, they will be confined to only pictures because of humans themselves.
Samadhee Wijesekera (Grade 
Ladies’ College, Colombo
The importance of swimming
Swimming is a very important sport.
It helps to keep the body in good shape. It is an important skill that should be learned. There are many instances where you are benefitted by knowing how to swim. It could also save your life and many others in dangerous times such as in a flood or a tsunami. There have been incidents where innocent lives have been lost because they didn’t know how to swim.
Swimming must be learned at a young age so that it is easier to learn. The best way to learn is in school. Most of the tropical countries have swimming as a sport in school. This helps children to be in a good state of fitness from childhood. It helps to save you from obesity. Swimmers are people that other people look up to. Most swimmers are role models for the young.
Swimming is also an activity done to relax the mind. When you have a rough week at school or a busy schedule at work, you could go to a pool and relax your body and mind. It has a very soothing sensation when you glide around in the cool water.
Swimming helps to develop good character. It helps people to become refined people in society. It also enhances the athletic skills in a person.
Ismail Atheef (Grade 10)
Hejaaz Int. School, Mt. Lavinia