On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, is another important traditional Chinese festival, the Chinese Lantern Festival or Yuan Xiao Jie or Yuanxiao Festival (ๅ
ๅฎต่). It marks the first full moon of the new lunar year and the end of the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) period.
Malaysians tend to call this day as Chap Goh Meh (which is Penang Hokkien for what might be best translated as "the ending on the 15th").
In olden times, Chinese women were allowed to venture out only on the last day of the new year celebrations. For the guys, it is the chance for them to catch a glimpse of these maidens. This explains why Chap Goh Meh is regarded as the Chinese Valentine’s Day.
A popular Chap Goh Meh tradition is the mandarin orange-tossing ceremony for single women wishing to find love. Customarily, young single women write their names and phone numbers on mandarin oranges (Citrus reticulata) before throwing them into the lake (or any body of water), in the belief it will bring the ladies good luck in finding a good boyfriend or husband. The single men will wait eagerly on the opposite bank to collect the floating oranges.
The Chinese Lantern Festival 2024 or Chap Goh Meh is today, in case you don't know.
And give a listen to a classic Chinese poem on the Lantern Festival read by CGTN's digital avatar:
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