What is Tamil New Year?
Tamil New Year is the first day of the year on the Tamil calendar. This is celebrated on April 14 every year on the Gregorian calendar. Tamil is the oldest yet sweetest language of all.
Why do we celebrate Tamil New Year?
According to the Hindus, Lord Brahma, the creator of the world has created this world for us, so we take this day as an opportunity to thank him for creating the world and giving us the glory of nature to experience. The Tamil New Year day begins with viewing the 'kanni' (the auspicious sight) in the early morning, out of the expectation that beginning the New Year by looking at auspicious things will bring good luck throughout the whole year.
What do we (Tamilan's) classify as auspicious for the Tamil New Year?
The things that we classify as auspicious are: gold and silver jewellery, betel leaves, nuts, fruits and vegetables, flowers, raw rice and coconuts. We also take a ritual bath in which we immerse specially made oils from the most auspicious place, the temple.
How do we decorate for Tamil New Year?
During the Tamil New Year celebrations, women decorate the entrance to their houses with 'kolam' (design made with rice flour) and decorate the doorway with mango leaves. The month of Chitthirai also witnesses the marriage of Goddess Meenakshi to Lord Sundereswarar, which is celebrated as Chitthirai Festival.
From this article, I hope you learnt what Tamil New Year is and why we celebrate it.
