One of my former students with roots in Sri Lanka generously shared some of his family Christmas traditions.
Brian Vethanayagam writes,
"Midnight Mass is a must. Even if you're feeling tired, they'd rather have you sleeping in the pews than at home.
Mass is usually followed by a potluck at a family member's home, where each participant brings a baked good. Typically, each lady of the household has a specialty (e.g. Fruit cake, butter cake, biscuits, date cake), and bakers are expected to 'stay in their own lane' :)
Following the mass and meal, fireworks are set off in commemoration of the special day. Having been in Sri Lanka last November and seen local fireworks firsthand, I'll say that they're not grand displays, but instead very engaging and intimate. Spinners that you can nail to a tree or handheld sparklers are very popular varieties.
In growing up here locally, I'll say that many of these traditions (minus the fireworks) have remained the same. If anything, I imagine people will be using Zoom this year to connect with their loved ones back home, and relive the olden days."
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