Smashing coconuts

I was watching Sri Lanka TV news and saw protestors smashing coconuts near #nodealgama. Is that an advanced Buddhist practice we learnt at school?

 Or is it like Jews smashing a glass wrapped in cloth at a wedding for good luck? or Greeks smashing plates in celebration?

 Or which vindictive Gods, Goddesses or Godlets are they appealing to? Which of these Gods were appointed by the Buddha to oversee these tasks?

If cost of living is so high, why waste money smashing them instead of donating them to a poor person in charity?

 Is there a reliance on vindictive deities in Buddhism? I am so confused. Where did these practices emanate from? Can learned intellectuals enlighten people?

As a child I used to go to Kataragama with my father.  I saw and also engaged in smashing coconuts in a designated area.  I never asked why, but assumed it was for good luck and asking for good luck from a Diety who is not in Buddhist doctrine but very much part of SriLankan culture and people were doing it without asking questions.

I also thought that was to seek blessings and curry favour with an entity called Kataragama Deiyyo, an all-powerful Hindu Deity deeply woven into Sri Lankan culture.

I realised later they weren’t Buddhist beliefs or practices.  So, I am totally confused now.

Please enlighten me.

Mano Ratwatte