HM1113B TouRisM CenTre: CHINESE NEW YEAR by Nur Syakila Hamzah

Malaysia was famous in worldwide not just because their stability in economic and infrastructure aspect , but one addition that make Malaysia famous and be respectable by others is because Malaysia have a strong bond in their community that live harmoniously in one flag, named Jalur Gemilang .Malaysia have three biggest community. Majority community in Malaysia is Malay, Indian and follow by Chinese .If Malaysia have variety of races, of course it have variety celebration that will celebrated together. One of the celebrations is Chinese New Year.

Chinese New Year celebrated by Chinese community in Malaysia every 29 January every year. The date shows that it’s a new day in Chinese calendar that must celebrated every year. This celebration will celebrate follow their zodiac, for example: dragon year, rabbit year, monkey and more. When this Chinese new year was celebrated, they cannot sweep their house in that day. Based from their believe, if they swept the dusk in the house, it shows they don’t want to accept the prosperity which want to enter in their house. The house decoration must be in red colour because they believe red colour give them luck for next upcoming year. They hope their luck not just in economic aspect but also in healthy life too.

In that day, Chinese community must wear their traditional cloth. For men, they must wearing samfu and women must wearing cheongsam and of course their cloth must be in red colour. Early in the morning, they will prayer to get a bless from their great grandfather. Then, it will have a drink tea session for the oldest one in the family and giving an orange or tangerine and ang pau to the youngest. Orange as symbolize to absurd the happiness when family gathering together .For them, sustenance that they have must be shared with other family members too, to get more prosperity in the future.

Variety of food were served during this celebration .If ‘ketupat’ is famous during Hari Raya, Yee Sang also famous during Chinese new year .Yee Sang is a type of food that must served in each house during this celebration. The ingredient that contain in yee sang are raw fish, vegetables, selected herbs, spices and oil which be mix together when eat it .Some people like to put an abalone or salmon and sweet sour sauce which mix with vegetable oil, lime juice and white pepper. Every people have a different taste when serving this delicacy .Yee sang is served in large white plate to make sure everyone will take part during tossing session. Yee Sang will be tossed in together used a chopstick while shouting ‘lo hei’ or ‘lo sang’ which means prosperity and good luck.

The most popular dance during this celebration are lion and dragon dance. Lion dance must have two people to wearing a costume and dance follows the traditional Chinese beat. Mostly the style of lion dance is adaptation from Chinese muscle arts. Dragon dance need many people to conduct the costume because size of dragon longer than lion and they believe dragon is more powerful and stronger. They do this dance because they believe it can scare and chase away an evil spirit that brings bad luck to their family. Usually the costume of lion and dragon dance will be colour in red or orange and it decorated with gold and beads which is so shiny.

We must grateful that we be born in Malaysia .Even though Malaysia have a different race and religion, it not be a gap to we reach successful together .We must stand together to make sure that Malaysia maintain the peaceful in harmonious environment. Everyone celebrated everyone celebration, then it call ONE Malaysia. Proud to be Malaysian!