Sri Lanka's year has a rhythm. Families clean their homes before Avurudu, buy gifts before Christmas, and get children ready for a new school year. If you know the rhythm, you can share the right product a little before people start looking for it.
This calendar is a guide, not a fixed rule. Festival dates change from year to year, so always check the date for the current year.
Start early: the three-week rule
Order to door takes about three days on average in real Sri Lankan online shops. Customers also need time to see your post, ask questions and decide. So start sharing seasonal products about two to three weeks before the festival, and stop pushing them a few days before, when delivery may not arrive in time.
Around the start of the year: school season and Thai Pongal
- School season. A new school year means school bags, water bottles, lunch boxes, stationery holders and study lamps. Parents plan these purchases, so share early and clearly.
- Thai Pongal (January) is a harvest festival for Tamil families. Kitchen items and home décor fit well.
Around April: Sinhala and Tamil New Year (Avurudu)
This is one of the busiest seasons of the year.
- Before Avurudu: cleaning tools, kitchen items, storage boxes, home décor and small gifts. Families clean and refresh their homes.
- Gifts: many people buy small gifts for relatives. Products in the Rs 1,000–3,000 range are easy gift choices.
- Share a simple "ready for Avurudu" list on your Status.
Around May and June: Vesak and Poson
- Vesak brings lanterns, lights and decorations. Families and neighbourhood groups decorate homes and streets.
- Poson follows soon after. Some of the same products work again.
- Be respectful in your posts. These are religious festivals; keep messages simple and polite.
Ramadan and Eid
Ramadan's dates move earlier each year, so check the calendar.
- During Ramadan, kitchen items, serving dishes and food storage are useful for evening meals with family.
- Before Eid, people look for gifts, home décor and items for guests.
- Remember that customers may reply at different times during Ramadan. Be patient.
The rainy seasons
Sri Lanka has monsoon seasons that bring heavy rain to different parts of the island at different times. If suppliers list them, products like umbrellas, rain covers, car accessories for wet weather and drying racks become useful. Think about your own area and your customers' areas.
Around October and November: Deepavali
- Deepavali is the festival of lights for Hindu families.
- Lamps, decorations, kitchen items for festival cooking, and gifts are all relevant.
- Tamil-language captions help a lot here. MyKade gives ready-made captions in Tamil, and AI can help write your own.
December: Christmas and the year-end
- Gifts, decorations, kitchen items for family meals and party supplies.
- The year-end is also when people buy gifts for colleagues and friends.
- Start early: delivery is busy for everyone at this time of year.
Every week: Sunday
Not every peak is a festival. Our data from about 5,000 orders shows Sunday brings about 50% more enquiries than other days, and enquiries peak between 7 and 11 pm, with 9 pm the busiest hour. Plan your best posts for Sunday evenings.
How to plan your season
- Mark the next two festivals on your phone calendar, three weeks before each.
- Pick one or two products that fit each season. Don't try to sell everything.
- Prepare your content early. Save photos, videos and captions from the app in advance.
- Say the full price and delivery time. "Rs 2,200 + delivery, arrives in about 3 days."
- After the season, look back. What did people ask about? Write it down for next year.
Be honest about delivery
Never promise "guaranteed delivery before the festival". Say "usually arrives in about 3 days" and encourage people to order early.
Plan your next season now
Look at the calendar and pick your next festival. Choose a product today, so you are ready before your customers start looking. Download the MyKade app and start planning.