Skip to main content

Lunar New Year trend

Two weeks of merry-making to usher in the year of the Rooster. Picture by Jehan Mohd.




Bloomberg's piece on young Chinese celebrating the Lunar New Year outside China for shopping and sightseeing resonates with the actions of some Malaysians who belong to different ethnic groups. The article describes the trend among some Chinese notably the younger adults, who eschew the traditional pilgrimage back to their hometowns, preferring to spend their seven-day festive break, also known as Spring Festival, exploring the world rather than feeling miserable at home. This will allow them to "bypass the mobs, clogged roads and subways, lousy customer services as well as boredom" -- features, the Bloomberg article says, "mark holidays at home". Their favourite destinations are Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia and "outbound travel for the holiday break is expected to top a record six million passengers". "Rising incomes and an expanding network of international flights" are driving the craze among the young Chinese.

Statistics are not immediately available but anecdotal evidence suggests that young Malaysians and not so young ones will also be doing the same thing. Carina, a seamstress based in Ipoh, will be spending a quiet new year in her hometown for a variety of reasons. But this was not the case in previous years. The hardworking dressmaker always looks forward to Chinese New Year because this is the time she takes a long break usually two or three weeks to travel overseas with her family. Going away on vacation with the family is a worth while experience, and a great way to "chill out" or de-stress, she says.




Yee sang, a New Year delicacy enjoyed  in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Picture by Jehan Mohd.



The Chinese are not the only ones who want to escape the strictness of tradition at home. The other ethnic groups in Malaysia do it too. A growing number of Malay Muslims find it appealing to observe Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, the festival that follows the end of Ramadan, away from Malaysia. It is not a new phenomenon but the movement is gaining more and more adherents. Some want to avoid the tedium of reunions with quarrelsome relatives while those who have lost their parents and other loved ones cannot cope with the pain of going back to an empty family home. It appears that their enthusiasm for "balik kampung" has disappeared following the demise of the anchors in their lives. They appear to have embraced the new tradition, finding enjoyment in new experiences and different environments.

However, the practice has come in for criticism from purists who feel rituals associated with festivals such as the Lunar New Year and Hari Raya Aidil Fitri must not be tampered with. A re-connection with the ancestral homes and extended family is the essence of these celebrations, they say. According to Bloomberg, more than 414 million Chinese will leave their adopted homes in Shenzhen, Beijing or overseas to re-establish ties with their ancestral dwellings in China for this year's Spring Festival celebration which is from Jan 27 to Feb 2.

Happy Lunar New Year to those celebrating and enjoy the long weekend to the others.



Chinese living overseas head home to welcome the New Year with their families. Picture by Jehan Mohd.



Labels:
Location: Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

Comments

Anonymous said…
When I was in Dubai during the recent Chinese New Year, I met this young couple from Hong Kong who decided to go holidaying instead of spending time with their families. They have been doing it for the past 7 years!

I can totally relate, because since my grandparents passed on and we don't have a "rumah pusaka" to go back to, my parents and I would spend Raya abroad too. And we would try to do our prayers at Rumah Malaysia / Malaysia High Comm or the community mosque.

But that's not to say that I don't miss my cousins and all. I guess, nowadays, we would only meet during weddings or funerals.. sad as it may sound!

-arni
15 February 2017 at 09:20
Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Happy Father's Day

June is a significant month for fathers and those who have acted as father figures: stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, big brothers, teachers and mentors. It is the month when some countries including Malaysia celebrate Father's Day. As American poet Anne Sexton put it: "It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was." My own father, who was a major influence in my life when I was growing up in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia, passed away a long time ago. Since then there has been one major father figure in my life: my mentor, who is also my uncle, and he has helped me through difficult times. Fathers teach by example. You learn important values from them and you acquire some of their tastes for things. It could be anything: a love for English literature, words and books, among others. Sometimes you did not agree with their viewpoints but realised later that they were right about many things. As a child, growing up in a hometown known for its laid-back wa
3 comments
Read more

Rediscovering the traditional Malaysian Indian kitchen

I love this artwork (acrylic on canvas) by Jayashree Ramasamy @Jay, who has captured the mood of the traditional Malaysian Indian kitchen. Jay recalls her grandmother preparing meals for the family in a room which was equipped with ancestral cooking utensils and that was the inspiration for this painting. For more of Jay's creations head for the National Art Gallery where 'The Story Telling' exhibition is now being held (April 14 to May 15, 2011).  'The Story Telling' is a group exhibition showcasing the creations of four emerging artists including Jay from the Symbols Art Club . The other three artists are Kathiravan Subramaniam, Rohini Indran and Mohana Kumara Velu @ Mona Kv. Each work of art is a story that the artist tells about his or her personal experiences and observations of daily life. The launch this afternoon was in conjunction with the Tamil New Year today. 'Food is Served' by Kathiravan Subramaniam. The rationale: 'We may have diff
2 comments
Read more

Dealing with death of a loved one

Today marks the end of Rabiaa's mourning period. She had completed four months and 10 days or 130 days of grieving, the stipulated period for expressing sorrow for Muslim widows.  The death of her husband on Dec 30, 2020 was expected  but it still came as a huge shock to her. It was too sudden, she felt. Yet  observers would not agree. Her husband became bedridden in mid-November after a collision between his big bike and a car which had come from the opposite direction after taking an illegal turn.  In addition to being bedridden, Anwar, lost his voice which was the direct result of the  brain injury he had suffered after the accident. He was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. How does Rabiaa feel now? The pain is bearable but the memories remain as vivid as ever. She is still unwilling to clear up all of her husband's things and some items remain in their original positions as before he became bound to the bed. His belongings connect Rabiaa to Anwar and she basks in the w
1 comment
Read more