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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (tiEYLON). [VOL. XXL 



shaped like an hour glass), or any other instrument of 

 music on which he plays, to his tutor, salute him, and get 

 permission from him also. The dance then begins. It is 

 wrong to attempt either to dance or play a tune without this 

 preliminary ceremony. 



Soon after the harvest is over, alms should first be conse- 

 crated to Buddhist priests with the rice prepared from the 

 new paddy. Next, new rice should be prepared, with special 

 curries, for feeding parents, either by inviting them to one's 

 own house or by taking the food to them. The day on 

 which the new rice is cooked is also observed as an occasion 

 of festivity on a smaller scale. 



Nearly all visit their relatives with " pingo loads" when 

 the Sinhalese New Year is drawing nigh. In this way when 

 a kinsman pays a visit to a house with one or two pingo 

 loads, he should be welcomed with affection, in the aforesaid 

 manner, and entertained with food and drink according to the 

 means of the person visited. It is against custom to return 

 the baskets empty in which confectionery was brought. 

 When they are returned, either rice and curry, or other 

 sweetmeats and kiri-bat (rice boiled with milk of the coconut) 

 must be put into them. Sometimes, if there is no way of 

 getting them so replenished, the baskets are not returned 

 when asked for. but are kept back with the words " We will 

 send them later." This means " A return visit will be paid 

 in a few days with baskets filled with confectionery." If this 

 is not done it is below the standard of due etiquette. If a 

 son, or a daughter, or a son-in-law, or a younger brother, 

 or some such one, visits his elders with a child and with 

 a pingo load, it is customary to give presents to the child. 

 These presents sometimes consist of money and sometimes 

 of clothing and ornaments. 



