The way each country celebrates Chinese New Year has some unique celebrations and cultures of its own.
For the Chinese, the Chinese New Year is the traditional and most important festival. It is also a day for a family reunion, and New Year’s festivals generally don’t officially end until after the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. As for Malaysia, as a country with a high proportion of the Chinese population, the Chinese New Year is equally important to the Chinese.
The Chinese in Malaysia have perfectly inherited the cultural traditions of the Chinese. In Malaysia, the Chinese New Year has also become diversified. In addition to traditional festival customs, some are unique customs that have evolved after combining local customs. It will let you see a different Chinese New Year.
1. There must be CNY Cookies during Chinese New Year
Malaysia has a variety of New Year cakes such as love letters, peanut cookies, pineapple tart, and so on because Malaysia is a multi-racial country, Chinese New Year cakes have also begun to become multi-racial. During the Chinese New Year, if there is no new year cake, it will feel like something is missing.
2. Chinese New Year’s song
New Year’s Songs can also be said to be the unique culture and characteristics of Malaysian Chinese celebrating the Spring Festival. Without the New Year’s Eve songs full of festive atmosphere, it is tantamount to missing a stick. The annual Chinese New Year album has become a unique culture of Malaysian Chinese; these Chinese New Year albums have become one of the must-have “New Year’s goods” for the public.
3. Lao Yu Sheng
When talking about the New Year customs in Malaysia, we have to talk about fishing ‘Yu Sheng’. When fishing for ‘Yu Sheng’, the fish, ingredients, and sauce are poured into a large plate. The colourful ones are very beautiful, implying good luck. A lot of people gathered around, everyone stood up, waved their chopsticks, scooped up the fish, and kept shouting good things. Then, the more you fish, the higher you go, praying that in the new year, you can catch wind and water, good luck, and step by step.
4. Bai Tian Gong celebration
The ninth day of the Chinese New Year is a day for Fujianese to worship Tiangong and celebrate the new year. 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.
