SRI LANKA IS PROGRAM TOPIC

Holidays and customs of Sri Lanka will be explored at a Festivals, Families and the Arts program today.

Aslam Ahmed, a student at Southeast Missouri State University, will share his knowledge about his native country, Sri Lanka.

The program will be held from 2-3:30 p.m. at Jefferson Elementary School. It is sponsored by Southeast Missouri Council on the Arts.

Parents and children at today's program will learn about Sri Lanka and its holiday "Vesak, the birth of Lord Budda." Music, artifacts and visual aids will be available. Participants will make a six-sided lantern, similar to those used in Sri Lanka. All supplies will be provided and art teachers Brenda Seyer and Elizabeth Thomas will assist.

Open to children ages 5-13 accompanied by an adult, the series is held in different schools in the area. Admission is $1 per person. Preregistration is required and can be made by calling the arts council at 334-9233.

The next program, making masks for the Mardi Gras celebrations around the world, will be held Feb. 26 at St. Vincent de Paul Elementary School in Cape Girardeau. Francis Crowley, a native of Italy, will be the guest speaker.