What is there to do during Chinese New Year in Malaysia? Chinese New Year is perhaps the biggest and most important annual festival for Chinese and the Chinese communities world wide. The event is celebrated on the first day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Each year is named after one of the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Before the Chinese New Year, any Malaysian Chinese family will make a thorough cleaning of the house, or “spring cleaning.” After that, the entire house will be decorated with auspicious items and Chinese New Year decorations such as red cloth on the door, couplets, paper cuttings, red lanterns, flowers and other decors mostly in red colour. Chinese New Year Celebration in Malaysia. Malaysia is a multi-racial country and the Chinese make up about 30% of the country's population. Just as a Diwali celebration, Chinese New Year is declared a public holiday for the whole country but unlike Diwali, it is a two-day public holiday. The Lunar New Year is one of Malaysia's most thrilling festivals. This celebration of renewal, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring festival, is spiritually and culturally significant in the South-East Asian nation, where a quarter of the population claims Chinese heritage. Chinese New Year is the most important celebration for Chinese people all over the world. Also known as the Lunar New Year as it is based on the lunar calendar as opposed to the Gregorian calendar, Chinese New Year starts with the new moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon, 15 days later, with the celebration of the Lantern Festival (or Chap Goh Mei). For the Hokkien community, with roots in Fujian province, the ninth day of Chinese New Year is a big deal as it is also known as the Jade Emperor God’s birthday (called Thnee Kong Seh, short for Thnee Kong Seh Jit in Hokkien). This tradition commemorates the supreme ruler of the heavens in Taoist beliefs. The Significance of Chinese New Year in Malaysia. Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, marks the beginning of the lunar calendar. In Malaysia, it is a time for family reunions, paying respects to ancestors, and participating in various cultural activities. Chinese New Year in Malaysia is a celebration of culture, tradition, and community. Whether you’re exploring the bustling streets of Kuala Lumpur, the historic charm of Malacca, or the cultural richness of Penang, this festival offers a unique glimpse into the heart of Malaysian Chinese culture. For Chinese people, Lunar New Year is the Spring Festival, and it’s celebrated widely in Taiwan and across Southeast Asia in countries with large Chinese populations, such as Singapore and Malaysia. The Significance of Chinese New Year in Malaysia. Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, is celebrated by the Chinese community in Malaysia with great fervor. It marks the beginning of the new lunar calendar and is a time for family reunions, paying respects to ancestors, and welcoming prosperity and good fortune. Despite some differences, many Lunar New Year celebrations around the world, whether at the same time as Chinese New Year or not, still do have many striking similarities, largely due to Chinese New Year's massive worldwide influence through the ages. Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, is one of the most significant cultural celebrations in Malaysia. For business owners and start-ups, this period presents unique challenges and opportunities that can significantly impact operations and growth strategies. Chinese New Year in Malaysia is one of the biggest holidays in the country. According to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, it is celebrated nationwide by the Chinese community living here and falls at the beginning of the year. While it is also celebrated worldwide, many Chinese people will take this period of time to travel Chinese: 春节 chūn jié: Also called: Lunar New Year, Spring Festival: Observed by: All Chinese people; people in some other Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines The Lunar New Year is one of the most exciting festivals in Malaysia. Also known as Chinese New Year, this festival of renewal is of huge religious and cultural significance in the South-East Asian nation, where a quarter of the population claim Chinese ancestry. A shop selling decorations for the Chinese New Year in Wuhan, China (). The fireworks at Singapore's River Hongbao during the Lantern Festival in 2015. Chinese New Year, known in China as the Spring Festival and in Singapore as the Lunar New Year, is a holiday on and around the new moon on the first day of the year in the traditional Chinese calendar. As Chinese New Year is celebrated by Chinese people of certain ethnic groups (primarily the Han majority ethnicity), there are other ethnicities that may celebrate the Spring Festival in its more pure form, without regarding it as a 'new year' celebration, and instead celebrate a separate new year, unique to their culture or calendar, along The worship ceremony in the early morning of this day is livelier and grander than New Year’s Eve to welcome the new year. For the Hokkien people in Malaysia, the New Year starts after the ninth day of the Chinese New Year. For many Chinese in Malaysia, the Chinese New Year often begins after Christmas. In Malaysia, Chinese New Year is celebrated from 3–17 February this year with the first two days gazetted as public holidays. The Night Before Although proper celebrations begin on the first day, the night before is probably more important as family members from near and far return home for the reunion dinner to rekindle family ties and enjoy The holiday, which can last for up to 15 days, is marked by vibrant parades, dragon dances, lion dances, fireworks, family gatherings, and feasts. Its date varies each year, depending on the lunar calendar, but typically falls between January 21 and February 20. Preparations for the Chinese New Year begin weeks in advance in Malaysia.
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