Sunday, February 24, 2013

Chinese New Year - the 15th day - Chap Goh Meh

Source: The Star..All set for Chap Goh Meh

We have come to the last day of Chinese New Year 2013, the Yuan Xiao Festival. The 15th day or commonly referred to locally as Chap Goh Meh is celebrated with a final lavish dinner either at home or at a restaurant. After today, the raw fish salad will be taken off the menu in restaurants as well as other Chinese New Year-related dishes.

Yuan Xiao Festival is traditionally celebrated as a Lantern Festival, not to be confused with Mid-Autumn Festival however. In the old days in China, people would design and make their own lanterns and put them up for display in a competition. Riddles were written on the lanterns with prizes to be won if one is able to get the answer right. Nowadays, some people still display lanterns but in their own home.

Yuan Xiao or Chap Goh Meh is also known as Chinese Valentine Day attributed to a tradition of maidens tossing oranges into the river hoping to marry a good husband. The tradition is said to originate from the Hokkien community. In the old days, while ladies tossed oranges, men would toss mini-drums - both with their name and where they were from written down. These days, it has evolved into just the maidens tossing oranges.

If you are in Penang, don't miss out on the activity at the Esplanade plus a whole lot of other fun activities already planned out by the Penang state government for Chap Goh Meh tonight.

Happy Chap Goh Meh, everyone, and best wishes for a new year of happiness, health and wealth!



Related articles:
- Chinese New Year eve - the Reunion dinner
- Chinese New Year - the First day
- Chinese New Year - the Second day
- Chinese New Year - the Third day
- Chinese New Year - the Fourth day
- Chinese New Year - the Fifth day
- Chinese New Year - the Sixth day
- Chinese New Year - the Seventh day
- Chinese New Year - the Eighth day
- Chinese New Year - the Ninth day
- Chinese New Year - the 10th day
- Chinese New Year - the 11th day
- Chinese New Year - the 12th day
- Chinese New Year - the 13th day
- Chinese New Year - the 14th day

5 comments:

  1. Happy Chap Goh Meh will be dancing the dancing the Chapo Gohnam Style haha

    ReplyDelete
  2. Aha, so yesterday was the orange-tossing day that I've heard about so often! How many oranges did you throw? ;)

    Today life returns to normal, i.e. work work work?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I checked with a girlfriend whether she'd like to go toss an orange or two, just for kicks. The answer came back as, "Don't waste food!"

      The oranges ended up in our tummies.

      Life returned to normal work work work more than a week ago. :(

      Delete
  3. did you go toss oranges last night?? haha.. :p

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, sort of, from the fingers to the mouth. :p

      Delete