Christmas is one of the most heartwarming festival seasons that most countries celebrate with good food, gifts and parties one after the other. However the festive season this year in Sri Lanka is taking a different turn for many citizens with the challenging ordeals the country had to experience along with the economic crisis. To understand the people’s side of the story, Daily Mirror spoke to several communities and people who are celebrating Christmas this year and focused on some of the major challenges the country is facing at the moment.   

No food for feasts
Food security became a major threat year as citizens hit rock bottom with inflation. As the effects of inflation are still hovering around, Christmas feasts and fancy celebrations aren’t what many people in Sri Lanka are looking forward to this December.   

According to Advocata, BCI supermarket prices recorded a 78% increase between September 2021 to 2022. Disruptions in both global and local supply, domestic policy restrictions such as import bans and the recent changes to agricultural policy all added up this year. The expansionary monetary policy of the previous government through lowered interest rates and heightened money printing contributed to higher food inflation as well. Because of the uncertainty surrounding imports entering the markets, traders must reassess their pricing decisions which consequently creates distortions in the marketplace and can lead to additional pressure on consumers. 50% of households have reduced the intake of meat and fish according to the Red Cross Society. 11% of households completely dropped protein intake from their diets. WFP survey in September 2022, reveals that more than 1/3rd of Sri Lanka’s population is in food insecurity and 79% of households are adopting food-based coping strategies to keep food on the table.  

Disruptions in both global and local supply, domestic policy restrictions such as import bans and the recent changes to agricultural policy all added up this year

Why even celebrate?
Because of an unforgiving economic crisis and frustration which follows, many families have decided to keep their festivity low-key and celebrate this Christmas more privately. A family from Makola told the Daily Mirror that they are not in a festive mood to celebrate as they did in the previous years. They are hoping to donate to some charity organisations and exchange gifts with only their family members as they can’t afford to hold a larger celebration.  

Postponed exams due to the pandemic and economic crisis is another reason why most of the young people in the country are discouraged to celebrate freely. Several students from both government and private universities and colleges expressed their stress and anxiety over the countless exams held this month only days before Christmas. Many are experiencing tight schedules and exhaustion. “We are more focused on scoring a decent grade this month because all the shortcomings of this year really hindered our learning capabilities.” said an economic major. A fashion designing student from Ragama explained how she almost forgot about Christmas this year because several piled up projects are taking up most of her time this month. “We aren’t having any Christmas celebrations at our university either, it’s just work and exams one after the other,” she added.   

The true spirit of Christmas 
The major spirit of Christmas is the act of giving and togetherness. With this in mind, many Sri Lankans this year are directing their energy towards charity and volunteering work more than on decorations and festivals, to ensure that different communities in the country are living comfortably this Christmas.   

As sharing the joy of the season with everyone, especially the less fortunate, several churches and other organisations and associations have come forward in looking into the needs of the ones who are struggling in this critical situation.  “I see Christmas this year being more of surviving than celebrating as people are challenged to fight to meet their day to day needs,” said the parish priest of St. Anthony’s Church, Kollupitiya, Rev. Fr. Julian Patrick Perera, when inquired about how Christmas is.  

Rev. further went to say that in comparison to the last few years, many less fortunate are seen to linger on struggles mainly due to the increasing food crisis. The priest further added that this year he had been receiving many charity requests from poor families from both the city and the rural areas and also a few churches that suffer from poverty and the main requirement was food.  

The parish priest and the parishioners decided to donate packs of dry rations to a small colony in Dematagoda called “Maswatte ‘’ where 90% of the workers in meat shops are going through a hard time finding a proper meal per day. Dry ration parcels will also be sent to a rubber estate called “Doloswala” in the Nivithigala area in which many poor families live. Fr. Patrick also mentioned that apart from food there is a huge demand for clothing and exercise books in many rural regions as they cannot afford those while fighting for a wholesome meal each day.   

He said that his parish will be distributing usable clothes for Children and adults as they have no proper and new clothes to wear at least for the Christmas Day Holy Mass. Rev. also decided to donate exercise books and stationery items to school children given that most of the parents cannot afford to even buy one exercise book for their children in most rural areas. The parish encourages fellow Sri Lankans to turn more towards more charity this Christmas as well.  

Whatever the situation of Christmas in Sri Lanka this year may be, it is evident that Sri Lankans are trying their best to keep their holiday spirits up. By donating to the needy, working together and realising the importance of togetherness, the country is ready to embrace the true meaning of Christmas amidst all the hardships, and celebrate their unwavering strength and resilience as a nation.