It is easy to imagine that, in times past before electricity, the full moon provided sufficient light for villagers to go safely in the cool of the night to their places of worship. This was when the “Moon Goddess” was in full bloom; wearing white became a symbol of purity, and of a desire to cleanse one’s soul.
On the night of the full moon, the dancing flames of hundreds of coconut oil lamps in a row, the sandalwood aroma from burning incense sticks, the melodious chanting in the air as devotees flock to their temples, and the eerie silence at night while worshipers meditate, are some of the amazing moments that only a Poya day can offer the spectator.
Buddhism in Sri Lanka
Buddhists, who form the majority in Sri Lanka, adopted the use of the lunar calendar from Indian tradition as a major part of their religious observances. The four quarter phases of the moon are the pre-moon day (when the moon is totally invisible), the half-moon of the waxing fortnight, the full moon, and the half-moon of the waning fortnight.
Owing to the moon’s fullness of size as well as its brightness, the full-moon day is treated as the most auspicious of the four phases. Hence the most important religious observances are held on full moon days.
The Singhala (Singhalese is the majority language of the Sri Lankans, closely followed by Tamil) term “Poya” is derived from the Pali and Sanskrit form uposatha (from upa + vas: "to fast") primarily signifying “fast day”. Fasting on this day was a pre-Buddhist practice among the religious sects of ancient India. In Sri Lanka today, the sale of alcohol is forbidden on Poya days.
While Buddhist monks use the monthly moon-less day (called amavaka in Singhala) and the full moon day for their confessional ritual and communal recitation of the code of discipline (Patimokkha), lay devotees observe the full moon day by visiting temples for worship. They also take upon them the observance of the Eight Precepts of Buddhism.
The Poya observance is older than Buddhism. In ancient days, when there were no calendars, Asian ascetics made it a practice to cease worldly pursuits and engage in religious activities on the days of the full moon. The Buddha adopted this practice and from this developed the preaching of the Buddha texts in monasteries and temples on full moon days. It was the venerable Arahat Mahinda Thero who introduced Buddhism and the Poya custom to Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan National Holiday
The full moon day has not always been a national holiday in Sri Lanka. As part of an attempt to gain the approval of Buddhist priests who, because of their place in society, wielded considerable influence, the Government in 1966 decided to follow the traditional Buddhist calendar. Because this was based on the phases of the moon with each quarter day (and the day before it) becoming a holiday, it was difficult internationally and for anyone without a calendar showing the quarter moon days, to know which days Sri Lanka would be working ones and which holidays. After some confusion, Sri Lanka came back into line, and date, with the rest of the world.
In spite of the use of the Gregorian calendar for secular matters, the practice of setting aside the day of the full moon for religious worship and reflection was retained, becoming a day appreciated by all Sri Lankans, whatever their religion.
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