Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is always reflected with lucky money in red envelope (ang-pow),
mandarin oranges or tangerines, fire
crackers, food and blessing words. This
is one of the most important festivals for the Chinese community and it
lasts for 15 days.
The
festival starts with the new moon on the first day of Chinese lunar
calendar. It usually begins with a reunion dinner in the eve.
Traditionally every member of the family will attend and have the dinner
together. It is a norm that the all kind of traditional and typical
Chinese cuisine will be served on the family banquet table, symbolizing a
fruitful year in the past and in the near future.
The
first day of the Chinese New Year is the welcoming day for the Gods of
heaven and earth. During this day, many people will take vegetarian food
instead of meat as to ensure a happy, safe and long life. Visiting among
friends and relatives is another usual thing to do throughout the whole 15
days.
The
Chinese believe to start a day with positive thinking and saying,
therefore it has become a practice especially during the Chinese New Year
which means a new beginning, that everybody will avoid anger and
negativity instead will always start the conversation with ‘Gong Xi, Gong
Xi’ (congratulation) following by other cheerful positive words. All debts
should be cleared and work should be done before the arrival of the new
year as to symbolized a better, prosperous and easier year ahead. Not to
forget is the dragon dance during the period which also bears the same
meaning and purpose with the above.
Beach Festival Or Water Festival
Beach Festival or Water Festival
Terengganu is a state that has
very close relationship with water. Because of the wide and clean sandy
beach, water festival usually held in Batu Burok Beach in Kuala Terengganu.
All kinds of events are organized during the festival, range from
traditional games, cultural performance to exhibition and contests. It is
always a good chance to have an overview of the traditional culture of
Terengganu in the festival.
Games such as sepak takraw
(very similar to volley ball but instead of hand, the foot is used to hit
and transfer the rattan ball to other participants), gasing, kite flying
etc are the usual agenda in this annually held event.
Apart from the games, food
trying is another good reason that one shouldn’t miss this event. All kind
of local delicacies are sold in the booths. Fun gets merrier if you are
adventurous enough to try some of this food. Never judge from its
appearance, you may be rewarded by some delicious food.
As
part of the parcel for the festival, cultural performance are held during
the celebration. Needless say, Silat is a routine and a must for this
festival. Sometimes stage will be built for joget as well. So the
Terengganu folks will ask you : berjoget ke? (do you go for ‘joget
dancing?) The event is normally brought to the climax by contests
organized for example kite making and gasing spinning contests are the
usual events accomplishing the festival. Then everybody will go home with
joget walk and smiling face.
Hari Raya
The 30 days month-long fasting
during the Ramadan ends and celebrates with the Hari Raya Puasa or Hari
Raya Aidilfitri. There are two methods to determine the fall of Hari Raya
Aidilfitri: following the sign of the new moon (Rukyah) or based on the
astronomical calculation. (Falak). In Terengganu, Muslims adopted the
first method and this is always done in Merang.
Besides spring cleaning, the
house will be decorated with the lighting of oil lamps at the surrounding
compound as to welcome the angels which is believed to be visiting during
the seven days preceding the festival. So, the first day of the Hari Raya
Aidilfitri always starts with prayer in the morning in mosque then the
zakat giving, i.e. to donate money to the mosque as to support the poor
and the mosque. This will followed by a visiting to the ancestors’ graves.
This celebration lasts for a
month but the is concentrated in the first three days. During these few
days, there will always be open-house as to welcome visitors from all
races regardless whether you know the owner. Visitors will be served with
different type of favorite dishes such as ketupat, beef rending and
cookies.
Hari Raya Aidilfitri always
bears with full meaning of thanks giving and forgiving. The Muslims offer
their thanks to God and the elders meanwhile also request to be forgiven
for all their wrong doing in the past. Hari Raya Aidilfitri is not only
purely a religion celebration instead also to unite as a family with of
love, understanding, blessings, forgiveness and also the spirit of
harmonious among the races in the country.
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