Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 8:44 pm by jennifercheong
Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is one of the most important traditional long holidays in Malaysia especially for Chinese. All of the people in Malaysia will celebrate together and have fun on this special public holiday.It is sometimes called the “Lunar New Year” . The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first month (Chinese: 正月) in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; Chinese New Year’s Eve is known as chú xī. It literally means “Year-pass Eve”.
春节一般指除夕和正月初一。其中以除夕和正月初一为高潮。在春节期间，我国Malaysia的华 人都要举行各种活动以示庆祝。这些活动均以 除旧布新、迎禧接福、祈求丰年为主要内容。活动丰富多彩.
Chinese New Year is one of the longest and one of the most important festivity in Malaysia celebrate by all people in love and harmony. The origin of Chinese New Year is itself centuries old and gains significance because of several myths and traditions. Ancient Chinese New Year is a reflection on how the people behaved and what they believed in the most.
农历年的岁首称为春节。是Malaysia华人最隆重的传统节日，也象征团结、兴旺，对未来寄托新的希望的佳节。据记载，华人过春节已有４千多年的历史，它是由虞舜兴起 的。
It is the time for family reunions, the lion dance, firecrackers, mahchok games, mandarin oranges and giving/collecting ang pow, the Lunar New Year – or Chinese New Year (CNY), as it is more commonly known in Malaysia – highlights some of the most fascinating aspects of Chinese tradition.Chinese family will invite their Malay, Indian, Iban, Kadazan, Bajau and other international foreign friends to join them for the feast and celebration at home,office,hotel,restaurant, mamak store or kopitiam.
Reunion dinner on the eve of CNY
Its origin can be traced back thousands of years, to the legend which tells of a fearsome mythological creature known as Nian that is said to have once terrorized villages, devouring people on the eve of CNY. To ward off the beast, red-paper couplets were pasted on doors, firecrackers were set off throughout the night, and huge fires were lit.
Today, the prevalence of the colour red, and firecrackers, form part of the CNY celebrations throughout the world, as a part of custom and tradition.
The festival, which once also marked the beginning of spring in China, begins on the first day of the lunar calendar year, the first day of the new moon, and ends on the 15th day, known as Chap Goh Meh, the last day of the full moon.
However, celebrations are normally confined to the first few days and the last day.
Preparing for celebrations
Preparations tend to begin a month prior to the New Year, when people start buying new clothes, decorations and foodstuff; houses are cleaned from top to bottom, then decorated with red lanterns; banners; plastic or paper firecrackers (the real item is prohibited); panels inscribed with calligraphic characters bearing themes of happiness, wealth and longevity; and greeting cards received from well-wishers.
临近春节，人们采办年货，除夕时，全家团聚在一起吃年夜饭。贴年画、春联；迎接新的一年来临。
Pomelos or ‘loke yau’ in Cantonese is a popular gift as the word ‘yau’ sounds like the Cantonese word for abundance.
The eve of CNY is probably the high point of the celebration as it is on this day that family members from far and near will return home “balik kampung” for the reunion dinner, to rekindle family ties and enjoy the sumptuously prepared meals. Dinner is usually made up of seafood and dumplings; delicacies include waxed duck, prawns, braised dried oysters, scallops, curry ayam and “prosperity vegetables”.
After the reunion feast, entire families will try to stay up all night in adherence to shou sui, a practice which is believed to bring one’s parents longevity. To while away the hours, it is common for many to play games/gamble; the sound of mahjong games chips clattering against each other throughout the night is not uncommon.
At the stroke of midnight, the New Year is ushered in. Firecrackers and fireworks are prohibited, so the requisite din to herald the New Year falls upon human voices and song, and modern “improvisations” such as the recorded sounds of exploding firecrackers.
With daylight, homes again become a buzz of activity. Ceremonial candles are lit, incense burned, new clothes (red is the custom) are put on, and greetings of “gong xi fa cai” or “nian nian you yu” (which means “may every year be filled with extras”) are made.
As is commonplace among Malaysians during religious/cultural festivities, Chinese families invite their relatives and friends over to their homes during CNY. Guests arrive bearing gifts of mandarin oranges or kam, which symbolizes gold or wealth.
It is also customary for married couples to give children, elderly family members and unmarried adults money inserted in red packets known as ang pow, as a gesture to mean that the recipient will enjoy a fruitful and wealthy life.
Beliefs and tradition
The celebration of CNY is not all freewheeling fun though, as there are taboos and beliefs, some of which are spiritual in nature, that need to be observed.
No one is allowed to sweep the floor on the first day of the New Year as it is considered unlucky; that one would accidentally sweep away one’s good luck and fortune if they do so.
As a contrast, what is believed to bring good fortune and ward off evil is the lion which, according to legend, was the only animal that managed to wound the Nian. This gave rise to the lion dance, as the villagers of the story tried to mimic the lion in their attempt to frighten the beast away.
Here in Malaysia, troupes of lion dancers travel in trucks during the 15-day period to perform at individual homes and businesses, even office, shops,hotels and shopping complexes. It is one of the most spectacular sights during this period, where performers regularly shimmy up poles to pick up ang pows, while moving to the beat of the drums.
Malaysia 春节庆祝活动丰富多彩。不仅保留了过去民间习俗，而且增加了不少新的内容。使春节具有新的时代气息。
Different celebrations
Tossing the yee sang higher would bring prosperity
On the seventh day of CNY, which is considered as the birthday of all human beings, the Cantonese community partakes in a dish called yee sang, a simple mixture of thin slices of raw fish, shredded vegetables, herbs and sauces.
All the ingredients for the dish are served separately on the same plate, and would then be tossed and mixed, carried with chopsticks high in the air by all at the table, while saying out loud the word loh hei, which means liveliness, prosperity and longevity. This practice is said to herald prosperity for the coming year.
The eighth day is a time of prayer. The Hokkien community performs a ritual where offerings are made to the God of Heaven. This often extends into the ninth day.
The 15th and last day, Chap Goh Meh (Chinese version of valentine’s day), is observed in several ways. In Penang, the Hokkien community commemorates this day with a parade where stilt walkers, lion and dragon dancers, and acrobats move along the busy streets of Georgetown, to the beat of gongs, drums and cymbals.
However, the highlight of Chap Goh Meh, which is often regarded as the Chinese Valentine’s day, has got to be the throwing of oranges into the river. It is believed that maidens would attract good husbands if they adhere to this practice. Boys and girls from everywhere will go to the nearby river or seaside to throw oranges, which normally contain information of name, telephone number and email address.
