A COLOURFUL celebration of fantastic food, ritual and games saw the Sri Lankan community welcome in their new year.

Members of the Sri Lankan community in Colchester got together for the annual event at Stanway Village Hall on Saturday to mark the occasion.

Monks were on hand to lead the prayers and an array of delicious food was displayed and eaten.

Children play traditional games after offering parents and monks their respect.

The Sri Lankan new year falls on either April 13 or 14 to mark the transition of the sun from meeharashi to mehsharashi in astrology - as the sun moves from the house of Pisces to Aries.

The celebration of the Sinhala and Tamil new year has its roots in a religious festival drawing from both the Buddhist and Hindu religions.

For Sri Lankans, it is a day for festivities.

Everyone joins in the religious celebrations as a thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest.

They gather to play games and hold competitions before enjoying traditional foods shared by families at the festival.

A tradition linked to the new year is of parents anointing their children with oils, which symbolises a blessing for a plentiful year ahead.

Respectful children also offer their parents and elders a betel leaf as a show of gratitude.