Milk wine in Sri Lankan Catholic homes

Catholicism arrived in Sri Lanka with the Portuguese in the sixteenth century and took deep root along the western coast, especially among fishing communities. Today the coastal belt from Moratuwa through Colombo and Wattala to Negombo and beyond to Chilaw has some of the island's largest Catholic populations.

Negombo is often called little Rome for its many churches, and its Christmas decorations are among the most elaborate on the island. Churches, homes and streets are lit for weeks, and processions and carol services fill the calendar.

Milk wine came into these homes from the Burgher and English-speaking Christian tradition and was adopted alongside Christmas cake, love cake and other festive foods.

Christmas preparations in Catholic homes begin with Advent, the four weeks before Christmas. Fruit is soaked for the Christmas cake, sweets are made and milk wine is mixed and strained, often on a weekend in late November or early December.

Houses are cleaned and decorated, and a crib, a model of the nativity scene, is set up in a corner of the living room or the garden. Some families build elaborate cribs with lights, water features and dozens of figures, and neighbours visit to see them.

By Christmas Eve, the milk wine has rested for several weeks and is bottled and ready, often lined up beside the cake tin on the sideboard.

Christmas Eve midnight Mass is the centre of the Catholic celebration. Churches overflow, and many people stand outside. After Mass, families return home or visit relatives, and the first glasses of milk wine of the season are often poured with slices of cake.

Christmas Day is for family visits. Relatives travel between homes, and in each house they are offered cake and a small glass of milk wine, or a soft drink for children. The pattern continues through the week to New Year.

Because guests may visit several homes, hosts pour small glasses, and it is acceptable to take a sip and leave the rest.

Parishes play a part in keeping the milk wine tradition alive. December church fairs and bazaars sell Christmas cake, sweets and sometimes bottles of milk wine made by parishioners, with proceeds going to the church or charity.

Recipes travel through parish networks too. Women's associations, parish cookbooks and friends met at church pass recipes and tips between families.

For a visitor, a parish fair is one of the most accessible ways to meet the tradition. Fairs are usually open to all and are friendly, busy events.

Visitors staying in Negombo or along the coast over Christmas may be invited to see a crib or join a family meal. Accepting a small glass of milk wine and a slice of cake is the polite response, and it is fine to decline alcohol and ask for a soft drink.

Dress modestly for Mass, arrive early and be ready for crowds. Photography during the service is not appropriate, though decorations outside churches are photographed by everyone.

Lankan Stays & Trails can arrange a Christmas stay in Negombo, close to the airport and full of festive atmosphere, with guidance on Mass times and local Christmas events.

Negombo is the easiest base for a visitor, with many churches, hotels and Christmas decorations within walking distance. Colombo has large Catholic parishes and the famous St Anthony's Church at Kochchikade, which draws people of every faith.

The shrine at Madhu, in the north, is the island's most important Catholic pilgrimage site, though its main festivals fall at other times of year. For milk wine, the west coast in late December is the place to be.

Wattala, Ja-Ela and Moratuwa are less visited by tourists but have strong Christmas traditions, and church fairs there can be good places to look for home-made bottles.