New Year Celebrations under Lockdown

 These photo contributions show Sri Lankan New Year celebrations in the UK under lockdown. 

Like most other festivals in 2020, the Sri Lankan New Year Festival had to be celebrated under lockdown due to the fear of Covid-19. These photos show traditional food. Unfortunately, the food could not be shared with anyone else beyond the family who made it due to the restrictions of the pandemic. The contributor highlighted that she was trying to keep traditional customs for the sake of her children. Unlike during other years, she said social media was full of greetings that were customised to address pandemic-related fears. Many said 'We wish you safety from illnesses and long life this year!'

This material is part of the Covid Chronicles from the Margins project, funded by The Open University and the International Institute of Social Studies in the Hague. The project aims to highlight the impact of the pandemic on refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants.