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MALAYSIA and SINGAPORE |
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CHINESE FESTIVALS
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Chinese New Year
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myMalaysiabooks
brings you Chinese festivals of Malaysia and Singapore.
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Year of the Metal Tiger
Chinese New Year 2010 is on 14 February 2010
The Year of the Tiger begins on February 14, 2010 and ends
on February 2, 2011.
 The Tiger is the third sign in the cycle of Chinese Zodiac,
which consists of 12 animal signs.... read what's in store
for the year of the year of the Tiger below........
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YEAR
OF THE TIGER - February 14, 2010 to February 2, 2011
 The Year of the Tiger 2010, (in the Hsia calendar /Chinese calendar)
is symbolized by two elements – metal sitting on top of wood. The
Tiger is the third sign in the Chinese zodiac sign of 12 animals. It
is a sign of courage and thus the tiger is revered by the ancient
Chinese as the sign that wards off the three main disasters of a
household: fire, thieves and ghosts.
About the Year
The Year 2010 is the Year of the Metal Tiger, which begins on
February 14, 2010 and ends on February 2, 2011. In Chinese feng shui,
Metal is the destroyer of wood and so they are on the destructive
cycle and have conflict relationship. It means that the year 2010
may not be peaceful and more international conflicts are expected.
The Tiger is also part of 3 animals forming the fire penalty, and is
an active travelling star. Thus the year will see more people travel
and this should be beneficial to airline and tourism business. In
2010, the feng shui flying star number 8, symbolize earth element
and children, is in the centre. Thus 2010 may bring some problems
with earthquake and misfortune involving children.
The industries that is said to be able to perform well in the year
of the Tiger are industries related to Fire and Earth elements. Fire
industries are entertainment, finance and energy. However, the earth
industries such property, hotel, mining, insurance may be active but
not making profit as their money element, water is absent. The metal
industry such as banking, machinery, engineering, computer, and high
tech industries will be more stable than previous two years. Sectors
relating to water such as shipping, communication, drinks, spa will
be moving ahead with conservatism. Wood industry may not be doing
very well as their money element earth is absent. (refer Raymond Lo)
The Tiger also forms a three ‘conflict’ relationship with the Snake
and the Monkey. Such conflict means there is some hidden danger and
may cause disharmony, worries and irritations, or hidden sickness.
The clash between the Tiger and Monkey is a serious clash between
wood and metal elements, therefore those born in years of the Monkey
are advised to be particularly careful in 2010. As it is metal and
wood clashes the danger could be associated with cars or
machineries. Those born in the year of the Monkey or Snake are
recommended to carry the pendant of the Pig which will help to
attract away the Tiger, so as to minimize the negative influence of
the clash.
Personality
The Tiger is the third sign in the cycle of Chinese Zodiac which
symbolizes such character traits as bravery, competitiveness and
unpredictability.
People born in the Year of the Tiger are generally well liked with
charming personalities. Courageous, active, and self-assured,
optimistic, passionate and independent and quick tempered but
considerate are some of the characteristics of the Tiger. People
born in the year of the tiger have a lively disposition and are
forthright.
Tigers are natural leaders and have a strong sense of their own
dignity. Born to lead, they can be stubborn if they realize they’re
not in charge. They may tend to be selfish but overall, Tigers are
extremely generous. They are often intelligent and always alert.
People born within these date ranges are born in the Year Of The
Tiger:
8 February 1902 - 28 January 1903: Water Tiger
26 January 1914 - 13 February 1915: Wood Tiger
13 February 1926 - 1 February 1927: Fire Tiger
31 January 1938 - 18 February 1939: Earth Tiger
17 February 1950 - 5 February 1951: Metal Tiger
5 February 1962 - 24 January 1963: Water Tiger
23 January 1974 - 10 February 1975: Wood Tiger
9 February 1986 - 28 January 1987: Fire Tiger
28 January 1998 - 15 February 1999: Earth Tiger
14 February 2010 - 2 February 2011: Metal Tiger
References:
http://www.raymond-lo.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_(zodiac)
http://www.chinavoc.com/zodiac/index.asp
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Chinese New Year
(Jan/Feb)
is Asia's most widely celebrated festival.
Its a celebration for Chinese not
only in Malaysia and Singapore but all over the world. Chinese New
Year is the first day of the year according to the Chinese
lunar calendar.
Before the old
year ends, it is a custom for Chinese to
spring clean or even paint their houses. Actual celebrations starts on the
day before the new year, where family members gather for a reunion
dinner. Many Chinese Malaysians will travel back to their hometown
or family homes for this day. The reunion dinner is the a major
celebration and gathering for the family - a once a year affair
for many who have children working out of town. Many Taoists and
Buddhist Chinese will go to the temple to pray for blessings for a
good year.
Temples are also
crowed in the morning of the New Year where many offer prayers to
ancestors and gods and ask for blessing for a good year. On
Chinese New Year day relatives and
friends visit each other to offer their good wishes and it is customary to give mandarin
oranges during a visit, as a token of good luck and
prosperity. New year gifts of food (s.a. cookies, dates,
oranges, liquor, groundnuts, etc.) are also exchange between
relatives, friends and business associates. Married couples are obliged to give red packets filled with money
(called Angpow in Malaysian Hokkien or Hong bao in Mandarin) to children of relatives or
friends.
The New Year celebrations
traditionally extend to 15 days, where the 15th day is the Chap Goh Meh
festival. The most important festival during the 15 days of the
new year, for the Hokkiens in Malaysia and Singapore, is the
Festival of the Jade Emperor, celebrated on the 9th day of the
new year. What Malaysians and Singaporeans normally do: |
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Chinese New Year
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Before Chinese New Year |
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Clean the house - spring cleaning.
Prepare Chinese New Year Cakes, cookies or
biscuits (e.g. kueh kapit or love letters, kueh bulu,
kueh bunga, Nian Gao, etc)
Chinese New
Year Recipes
Shop for new clothes, curtains, Chinese New
Year decoration, food, new year gifts, etc....
Stock up food for the long holidays.
Balik Kampong or go back to their family
home or hometown. The family reunion dinner is held on Chinese
New Year Eve. Its usually at home or at a restaurant.
Visit the temple to offer prayers.
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Chinese New Year |
Dress up, family gather to pay respect and good
wishes
Visit the temple to offer prayers
Enjoy family gathering
Visit relatives and Chinese friends, with
mandarin oranges to offer new year wishes.
Have open houses, invite friends and relatives
usually to eat New Year cookies and celebrate the new year.
Eating and feasting on cakes and other New Year
dishes
While adults give out ang pow (red
packets), children receive them.
Go for holidays, see a show, dinning or
shopping
New year is also a time where many gambles -
usually a friendly game of cards among friends and relatives! |
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Beliefs |
Cleaning the house - A traditional
belief of sweeping out the ill fortune of the old year.
Sweeping out is not recommended on New Year's Day for fear of
sweeping away the good fortune that the new year brings.
Debts - Settling or paying off old
debts and collect what is owed to you before the new year, so
your fortunes are not lost and you will prosper. |
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Other Chinese Festivals |
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Chap Goh Meh (in the Hokkien dialect) is the last day of the Chinese Spring festival
or New Year celebrations or 15th day of the Chinese lunar
calendar. Chinese normally celebrate by having a grand dinner and
Buddhists and Taoist Chinese mark the day with offerings and
prayers. In the old, single girls will throw tangerines into the
sea - a belief that that will bring them a good spouse......
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 Festival of the Heavenly God or Jade Emperor
(9th
day of the Chinese lunar calendar) This festival starts on the early morning of the
9th day of the Chinese lunar calendar (after midnight of the 8th
day). It is the most important spring festival for the Hokkiens
(mainly descendents from Fujian province, China), a
celebration which is celebrated widely by the Buddhist and Taoists
Chinese in Malaysia. The celebration marks the birthday of the
Jade Emperor or Guardian or Heavenly God, who lives in the centre
of the universe.
In Penang, this
festival is celebrated with in a grand scale, and can be observed
at the Clan Jetties, near the ferry terminal (see
map of George Town).
The height of celebration starts near midnight on the 8th day of
the Chinese lunar calendar. Prayers and offering are made to the
god in front of the homes of many Chinese in the country (Photo:
typical offerings to in homes). Houses are usually brightly lit on
this night. There is usually fireworks on a feast after the
prayers.
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 Festival of the
Nine Emperor Gods
(according to lunar calendar -
Sept/Oct)
This festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth
moon in the Chinese lunar calendar.
The Nine
Emperor Gods are spiritual mediums believed to dwell in the stars
in heaven. On the eve of the ninth moon, temples of the Deities
hold a ceremony to welcome the gods. The
rituals during the festival acts as a channel between celestial
beings and humans for the salvation and protection of mankind. The Gods are believed to
travel through the waterways so processions are held from temples
to the seashore or river. The celebration lasts for 9 days. Many
devotees throng to the temples to offer prayers and follow a
vegetarian diet during this period. On the 9th day ends
usually with a fire-walking ritual. In Penang temples are crowded
and streets are lined with stalls selling praying items of
vegetarian food.
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 Dragon Boat Festival /
Chang Festival
(according to lunar calendar
- June/July)
This festival marks the death of a Chinese poet and scholar
Qu Yuan who drowned in 296 BC in
Hunan
province in
China
. When people heard of his
disappearance, they scoured the river in boats to rescue him,
beating their drums to scare off the fishes from nibbling at his
body. Unable to find his body, they made glutinous rice dumplings
wrapped in bamboo leaves and threw them into the river in the hope
that the fishes would eat these dumplings instead of his remains. To commemorate the occasion, boats were decorated
with dragon heads on their bows.
This day falls on the fifth day of
the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar.The tradition of making dumplings
(called 'chang')is celebrated by the Chinese community in
Malaysia
with the offering of the dumplings
to the gods and their ancestors. The festival is celebrated in
Penang
annually with an international
dragon boat competition which is immensely popular and attracts
participants from all over the world.
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Cheng Beng (April) This
event falls on the third month of the lunar calendar and usually
coincides with April. It is the Chinese equivalent of All Souls’
Day. During this month, the Chinese will visit the cemeteries to
clean the ancestral graves and make offerings to the spirits of
their departed loved ones. |
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details and more photos of these celebrations in
My Penang travel guide
sold online only at
myMalaysia-store |
Mid-autumn
festival or Moon Cake festival (15th day of the 8th month of the
lunar
 calendar) - celebrated by the Chinese to
commemorate the overthrow of the Mongol dynasty in Ancient China.
Shops sell a variety of mooncakes which are offered to the moon
fairy. The cakes are exchanged as gifts among relatives and friends
during this month. Children would light colourful lanterns in the
shape of animals or other objects during the night. In many parts of
Malaysia a lantern procession or display is held to mark this day.
Hoe to make moon cake at our
Chinese Cookies page
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Year of the Ox - 2009
 Chinese
New Year - 26 January
2009
2009 is the year of the Ox which is also known by its formal
name of Yi Chou. 己丑
. In the Hsia calendar, is symbolized by two
elements – with earth sitting on top of earth. The Chinese
calendar year goes on 60-year cycle. 2009 is the 10-th year
in the current 60-year Cycle. 2009 is Year 4706 in the
Chinese calendar. The Ox belongs to the earth element and
is the second of the 12 animal signs.
Astrologists believe that it is a year for healing and
relaxation from the turbulent times. It is a time for
rebuilding and reconstructions from the damage of war,
natural disasters and the financial tsunami of 2008.
2009 is represented by the “Yin Earth”. Those born in a day
of “Yin Earth” are often moderate and harmonious. Some
examples of famous earth people born on a “Yin Earth” day
are Barak Obama, Celine Dion, Leonardo Da Vinci,
Tchaikovsky, Larry King, Donald Trump, and Charles Darwin.
The animal sign that is most unfavourable in the year of the
Ox is the Goat. Those born in the year of the Goat will
anticipate more travelling, or movements. It is advisable
for them to carry the pendant of a Rat as protection to
attract the Ox away. Those born in year of the Ox are
offending the Grand Duke (also not auspicious) should also
carry the Rat pendant to minimize the negative effect. Those
born in the animal year - the Rat, the Snake, and the
Rooster are in harmony with the Ox. However, clashes and
negative affects can also impact any one who born of any
animals a sign, depending on the birth dates – whether it is
the month, or day or hour.
The earth element of the Ox year favours the wood and fire
industries, as wood conquers earth – it is a symbol of money
favouring the wood industry, such as forestry, furniture,
fashion, textile, paper, media, newspaper, etc. The
unfavourable industrial sectors in 2009 are industries of
Water and Metal. |
Year 2008 is year of the Rat
In Chinese Astrology, the Chinese calendar has a
twelve year cycle and each year is named after an animal –
forming the 12 animal signs. All information about time –
year, month, day and hour are presented in terms of the five
basic elements – metal, water, wood, fire and earth, which
represents the basic components of everything in the
Universe.
The year 2008, in the Hsia calendar, is symbolized by two
elements – with earth sitting on top of water.
2008 is Year of the brown Rat?
The Rat
belongs to the strongest water element and it is the first
of the 12 animal signs. It also represents the beginning
of a new 12 years cycle.
The Year 2008 is a the
Brown Earth Rat Year -
As Earth is equivalent to the colour brown in the
Five-Element system, 2008 is also called the Brown Rat
year. |
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