Sabah Scuba Dive

I am a frequent traveler because my job is a consultant and seminar speaker. I traveled from country to country. If you ask me what is the most important thing in my needs for my job, I would say there are a few things. First, I need internet connection for my communication on my notebook or my blackberry. Secondly, I need a good hotel that can give me a nice bed, gym, good food and a reliable hot shower. I need a good rest to prepare myself for the next day’s work. I can saved on transport, food, clothing, handphone, and computer but I do not cut corners on hotels. I demand a good hotel so that I can have my wonderful beautiful sleep. There is nothing worst than to have a lousy hotel that is noisy, bed full of bugs, smelly carpet, smelly pillows and dirty toilets or worst still, a shower that is not functioning well. There was a case where I nearly scared my body because the hot water was terribly hot and could not be adjusted.

With the internet and the advance of websites and blogs, checking out a good hotels online is a click away. I read the reviews on the hotels that I am going to book and soon I have a developed a list of good hotels in my little booklet. Whenever, I want to go traveling, I will check out my little book and login the homepage of the hotel to make my reservation online. This way, I am assured of a place to sleep, when I reached the place.

After a hard day’s work, you will want a good spa and some hotels do provide excellent spa. Again, the net come in useful and you can check out the spa facilities from the various hotels. Best still, read up the reviews of the customers who have patronized these spas. These are independent reviews given without any bias. Of course, do look at the types of rooms you are comparing with. The internet is such a wonderful place for looking up accommodation in any place in the world. If you want to enjoy a place, make sure the hotels you choose is safe, secure, user friendly, clean and has the facilities that you need for your purpose.

Instead of looking up the search engine, there is one site which I found very useful. This site has all the combined hotels information and you can choose several hotels that you like and make a comparison. For example, if you want to visit Kota Kinabalu, there are several hotels in Kota Kinabalu. Type in the key words of the hotels and you will be able to compare the prices offered by each hotel. This is very useful and convenient as you do not have to search one site at a time. Finding the lowest cost of 3 stars and 4 stars hotel is on the mind of every budget traveler. With increase in oil prices, more and more travelers are looking for the lowest costs to stay in. Start by looking in the internet and you won’t believe how much you have saved.

Visitors entering Malaysia must possess a valid passport with at least six months beyond the intended visiting period.

Those who do not must have a valid Travel Document like a Certificate of Identity, Laisser Passer, Titre de Voyage or a Country’s Certificate of Permanent Residence which is recognized by Malaysian Government.

Visitor upon arriving will have to produce their passport at the immigration check point. Visitors who require a Visa must always apply in advance at the Malaysia Representative Office or to the British High Commission or Embassy. Please prepare your Travel Document, your return traveling tickets, 3 copies of a Form IM.47, 3 passport size photographs and evidence of sufficient funds.

There are 3 types of visa issued by the Malaysian Government to foreign national.

Single Entry Visa are issued for visitors entering into Malaysia for business or social purposes.  This visa is only valid for a period of 3 months from the date of issue.

Multiple Entry Visa is valid within 3 - 12 months from the date issued.  it is usually for visitors entering into Malaysia for government to government matters or business.

Transit Visa are only issued to visitors who enter Malaysia on transit to other countries but for visitors who do not leave the airport precincts will not be issued visas.

Visitors can contact the nearest Tourism Malaysia office for further information.

Here are some tips when purchasing Duty Free products in Malaysia duty free shop. Visitors are allowed to purchase 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 225 gms of tobacco, 1 litre of alcohol, a reasonable amount of cosmetics/perfume for personal use only. Gifts/souvenirs not more than RM200.

Certain goods such as the following, imported by visitors are liable to duty: carpets, garments, clothing accessories, jewelery, chocolates, handbags, spirits, alcoholic beverages, tobacco and cigarettes. Visitors bringing in dutiable goods may have to pay a deposit for temporary importation, refundable on departure.

The goods are to be presented at the time of departure at the point of exit together with the deposit receipts. Non-dutiable goods include cameras, watches, pens, lighters, perfumeries and cosmetics.

The electronic business or e- commerce has revolutionise the travel industry in a big way. E-ticketing has change the airlines industry and saves billions of dollars. Travellers are becoming more computer savvy and are able to purchase their tickets on line. Now, the next wave is the accommodation or hospitality industry. Travellers are now booking their accommodation online. They can check out the prices for the types of rooms that are available at different hotels directly. They can also purchase on a bidding process even where third parties or brokers online convey your requirements to the suppliers. Hotels, motels and inns will bid on your requests. This way, you can have a range of choices to pick from.

There are three great places to visit in Italy, namely, Venice, Florence and Naples. Venice is the renowned for their gondolas and their canals. It is always depicted as a city of romance. Venice has always been considered as one of the most beautiful city in the world. If one is to visit Italy and has not visited Venice, you have not seen Italy in its wholeness. There are great sculptures, great architecture and a place full of history and romance for lovers and honeymooners. For a check out on Hotel Venice, do your homework and find out the types of rooms you required. Get the best from Hotel Venice while you are there.

Florence is another great place to have your holidays. Florence has been declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1982. This is not surprising when you have great works of great men such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci,,Botticelli. There are great museums, galleries and it is a great place to study the works of the great artists and painters in Florence. For a great stay, check out Hotel Florence and choose the ones that fix your budget. You may want to spend a longer time in this place as there are so many places to visit as Florence is the cradle of Renaissance period.

Another great place to visit is Naples in southern Italy. It is a city noted for its rich history, art, culture and gastronomy. Naples City is synonymous with pizza. Check out Hotel Naples to get the best view of the city. The city is so beautiful that you could just stay in your room, sipping Italian wine and enjoying your pizza, while you take in the beautiful view around you. And don’t forget to get copies of Naples romantic guitar music and mandolin

Santa Claus is coming to town! It’s Christmas.

Christmas is celebrated by all Christian throughout the world on 25 December. This date was chosen by Christian heads as a suitable day to remember Christ. It was on that day that the Romans freed their slaves. There, the date was considered suitable as the day to remember the teachings of Christ. These days, celebration are considered to be a season for rejoicing and to strengthen friendly relations between different faiths.

In Malaysia, 25 December is declared a public holiday. In towns and cities, just days before Christmas, the atmosphere of celebration is everywhere. Shop-owners decorate their windows with a kind of powder that looks like snow and they sprayed ‘Christmas greetings’ over the glass panels. Stockings of huge sizes are hung up with all sort of goodies. Real and artificial Christmas trees are placed at the doorways of restaurants, shops and malls.

Christmas trees decorated with colored lights appear in big shops and in Christian houses. Banners are displayed in shops and departmental stores to welcome customers Old friends and relatives are remembered by loved ones and are presented with gifts. When choosing gifts , one should consider the things that pleases the grandparents, parents, children,relatives and friends. Gifts are beautiful wrapped and hidden away. Stockings are filled up and hung up in trees.These are for the children to find when they wake up in the morning.

Greetings cards are sent days or even weeks before the festive to friends and relatives who lived abroad. The cards received will be hung or arranged neatly on the wall or noticeboard as decorations. Santa Claus are seen around shopping centers, greeting children and handing out sweets to young shoppers. Children are allowed to sit on Santa’s lap and whisper in his ears for the gifts they wish to have for Christmas. Of Course, a photographer will be on hand to take some pictures of you with Santa or Santa Marians.

On the night of Christmas Eve, Santa Claus is supposedly to bring gifts to the children in the middle of the night. Of course, we all know who are the real santas, their parents of course. Christian homes will be brightly decorated with lights and wall hangings. Fairy dolls will be hung on the branches of the Christmas tree. Gifts already wrapped in lovely paper are arranged under the tree.

Weeks before the festive, churches all over the country will be organizing activities centering on the birth of Christ. The churches will hold activities for the old, the sick and the handicapped, the poor, as well as the children. Various organizations and institutions will assist the churches in this welfare work and to bring about rejoicing and sharing during this festive season. As the day gets nearer, a number of caroling groups will sing Christmas songs at private houses, hotels, restaurants, hospitals and other institutions for the poor and the sick.

Music and songs will fill the air till late at night. Music , dances and fun among the young at shopping complexes, open threatres, malls streets certainly brought in the atmosphere of joy, fun and happiness.
Midnight mass are held in churches and both young and old will come out in full force to celebrate this joyous festive. The church bells will chime at midnight and everyone will greet one another and wish everyone a blessed Christmas.

Chinese communities in Malaysia celebrated the traditional festival of Dragon Boat Festival which falls on the fifth day of the fifth moon according to the Chinese lunar calendar signifying The Double Fifth.

A few days before the celebration, Chinese will prepare rice dumplings made rice dumplings ( ‘Bak Chang’ in Chinese). These dumplings are made with ingredients such as chicken meat or pork meat with mushroom, peanut and chestnut, marinated with five spice.

These ingredients are position in the center of the triangular dumpling so that the glutinous rice will cover and hold the ingredients firmly during steaming or boiling. It is then wrapped in bamboo leaves. This process is central to the philosophy of the folklore of this festive as we shall see later on.

On this special festive, rice dumplings are served for breakfast, lunch and dinners. School children brings them to school for their lunch breaks. Neighbors exchange gifts of dumplings with each other and trade or swap recipes with each other.

Buddhist devotees will performed prayers in temples or at their residence and the altars will be filled with these triangular rice dumplings. This festive season is held in remembrance of a Chinese poet and minister called Qu Yuan. He was well loved by the people of Chu.

He lost his position and status when he was banished by the king of Chu. He lost his reason to live when he learned of the Qin invasion of Chu. In his bid to commit suicide, he drown himself in the Miluo River.  When the people of Chu heard about his death, they hope and pray that the dragons will not eat his corpse.

Fishermen made attempts to rescue and so in order to buy time, they decided to create food for the fish by placing rice in bamboo tube to so as to protect the the poet. They beat drums to scare away the fish as they paddle in their long boat made to disguise like a dragon. He was look upon as a hero by the local people of Chu.

Each year, they commemorated the ritual by throwing in the rice dumpling. Today, Chinese observed this festive by performing prayers in temples and homes. They made rice dumplings in bamboo leaves as offerings. The highlight of this festive is the Regatta and the eating of ‘Bak Chang’. Weeks before the festive occasion, you will be able to witness people paddling their long boat practicing for the regatta event.

It is a colorful event and dragon boats are beautifully crafted for this festive.

Like Deepavali, Thaipusam is a religious festival. This festival has a slightly different religious purpose. Thaipusam is the day for repentance and hope. To many Tamils, this day is the day of Lord Subramaniam. Subramaniam is the lord of power and justice.

It is Lord Subramaniam who takes care of his people’s livelihood. He has authority to punish the wrong-doers and to pardon, as well as to fulfill one’s wants and wishes. From the religious aspects, Thaipusam is a day for visiting, too. In Malaysia Indians from the rubber plantations and rural towns will go into the cities. They come to pray at the temples built for Lord Subramaniam. In Kuala Lumpur, the Indian families will gather at the Batu Caves.  In Penang, they will gather at the Botanical Gardens, which is the meeting place where the procession and worship begin.

On this holy day, Indian families from distant places have a chance to go into the towns or cities fro the whole day. In the morning, they will pray and worship at all the temples of Lord Subramaniam situated in the villages and towns. Soon after eating, these families dress in everything new, gather in town center to watch or participate in the religious processions which have headed for the temples to worship. This procession gives the devout followers an opportunity to repent as a crowd.

Like the fire-walking ceremony on Deepavali day, these devout Hindus undergo strict bodily discipline through fasting, praying and mediating in order to perform the rite of repentance. As a toke of repentance, a number of devout Hindus will carry Kavadis, which are small shrines or idols. Added to their weight are sharp nails and knives or hooks which pierce the backs of these Kavadi-carrying devotees. Other people also express their repentance by enduring pain so as to receive pardon.

They undergo this by piercing their own bodies with hooks or silver needles. Theses devout followers seem not to be in pain. They walk within the procession in surrounded by followers who play on the tambourine, trumpet and drums or by those who perform religious dances.

The term ‘Deepavali (Divali for short) means ‘The Path of Lights’ or more commonly, ‘The Festival Of lights’. In Northern India, it is called ‘Dipmala’. This is regarded as a holy day by the Hindus. To the Hindus Deepavali Day is a day when the good triumphs over the evil. It is also the start of a new life. Oil Lamps are burned throughout the day.It is is often celebrated between the month of October and November.

Deepavali begins early in the morning. Indian families of the Hindu faith will get up from their sleep before the sun rises. Some of the them will be awakened by the chime of temple bells and by the blowing of a conch. This day starts with the early morning bath. On this day, cleanliness is most important. The body and mind must be cleansed in order to participate in the religious rites on Deepavali day.

To cleanse the body, The Hindus normally apply gingelli oil to their hair and bodies and allow the oil to dry. Then, before they bathe themselves with warm soapy water, they will sprinkle some scented powder onto their bodies, to get rid of the oily smell. Bathing with the warm water will make the Hindu family clean and fragrant. Only then will they put on their new clothes.

Before breakfast, most Hindu families pray together. Many of them will visit the temple in the morning to worship. For breakfast, a light meal is usually prepared, consisting of rice, fruit and vegetables. This is followed by delicious and special food.

Dinner consists of rice, chicken curry, mutton or fish, yellow rice and vegetables. After breakfast, the adults will visit their friends and relatives. They too will be visited in turn. Guests will be served with cakes and drinks. Children will play with the gifts they received.

In the afternoon, many Hindus visit the temple for the second time. They want to watch the Hindu devotees walk on fire to express their strong religious convictions. The devotees have gone strict bodily discipline for several days before this, by praying and fasting. The embers are fanned to glowing red. The devotees will then walk bare-foot on the embers. Every time a devotee manages to complete his walk, the audience will applaud because he is amazed, happy and satisfied. This is astonishing but real. Not a single one of the devotees who walk on the fire seems to bin pain or have his feet burnt

The night before Deepavali is the most glorious occasion. Hindu families will light up their houses. Oil lamps are placed along the fences in front of the house, on the verandah, along the drive way, on the window sill and even on the flat-topped roof. Nowadays, electrically operated colored lights are available in stores and market. Usually,neighbors will compete between themselves as to whose house will be the brightest.

In the villages, children are usually given the task of lighting the lamps as dusk approaches. Children and adults will let off fireworks to brighten the beauty of the night. On Deepavali day, the children go to bed late at night. When the children are asleep, the parents will clean the house, put out the lights and make preparations for the next day.

Muslims also celebrate Hari Raya Haji ( means ‘Festival of Pilgrimage’). It is celebrated on the 10th day of Zulhijjah, the 12th month of the Muslim calendar.

This festival is associated with the 5th tenet of Islam,the performing of the pilgrimage to Mecca. Annually, thousands of Muslims throughout the world go to Mecca. On this festive day, Muslims will go to the mosque to pray.

A special ceremony on this occasion is the Muslim sacrifice of a cow or buffalo, goat or sheep. The flesh of the animal is distributed to poor and needy Muslims. Muslims family will prepare a feast in which their friends and relatives gather to celebrate this occasion.  Based on this practice, Hari Raya Haji is also called Hari Raya Korban, the festival of sacrifice.

In Malaysia, this festival, also known as Hari Raya Aidiladha celebration is on a lesser scale than that of Hari Raya Puasa.

One of the major festivals of the Malays and other Muslims is the Hari Raya Aidilfitri. It is celebrated by all Muslims with much ceremony. The Malays celebrate Hari Raya Puasa, after having fasted daily for the whole month of Ramadan, according to the Muslim calendar. They fast to fulfill one of the tenets of the Islam.

Muslims young and old fast from dawn till dusk. This is the period where fasting is to cleanse themselves by exercising abstinence and self-control. The sick and pregnant women do not fast but they are expected to replace later after they are well again.

A week before Hari Raya Puasa, Muslim ‘balik kampong’ ( return to their hometown) to be with their family. During this festive occasion, the city is unusually quiet and many have return to their hometown to celebrate. Muslims houses are brightly illuminated. Houses are cleaned and beautifully decorated. On the eve of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Muslim houses are decorated with colorful lights and oil lamps. Modern decorative lights made into the shape of Ketupat are hung in and around the house.

The first day of Syawal is Hari Raya Aidilfitri also known as Hari Raya Puasa (’Hari Raya’ means day of celebration). On the morning of this auspicious day, family members will asks for forgiveness among family members. The asking for forgiveness is done in order of family seniority.

Green packet with money inside (Green pau) is given by the parents to their children as a token for the festive occasion. Muslims go the the mosque to perform the Hari Raya Puasa prayers, visit their ancestors graves to do cleaning and perform prayers.  Every Muslim house is open to visits for both Muslim and non-Muslims friends. Open house (’rumah terbuka’in Malay )is one of Malaysian signature hospitality regardless of races or religion.

The King of Malaysia and the Ministers of Parliament also like wise hold open houses to foreign dignitaries and the common public.  Special Malay delicacies like ketupat, satay, fermented glutinous rice, curry, rendang (a popular beef delicacy), thousand layer cakes and varieties of cookies are serve to visitors.

It is indeed a joyous festive occasion celebrated by all Malaysian in a true multi-racial harmony.

Every year on 31st August, Malaysians celebrated their National Day, also popularly known as Hari Merdeka . The word ‘Merdeka’ means independence and Hari Merdeka is celebrated on a national scale.  This is a special day as there will be national celebration and state level celebration. The national level is usually held in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, while the state level are held in every of the 13 states in Malaysia.

Hari Merdeka (Merdeka Day) parade involving a cross section of communities from all sectors is the highlight for the day. This event is held on the actual day in the morning. At this event, dignitaries, ambassadors, the King and queen, Prime minister and cabinet ministers will officiate these events.

On this special day, awards and titles are bestowed on outstanding citizens of Malaysia for their contributions towards the nation. Contingents of school children, army, civil servants, villagers, and all walks of live, will do a march along the designated route in the cities. Roads will be closed for this event and it is good advice for visitors to this country to be at the designated area early in the morning.

In the evening, fireworks lit the night sky while concerts are ongoing at strategic locations.  On the eve of Merdeka day, fireworks display will be put up in the capital city at the strike of 12 mid-night, followed by shouts of ‘Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka’ by all the participants and onlookers. This is as joyous day for both young and old.

The Ghost Festival ( ‘The Halloween’ of the East) is a traditional Chinese festival which falls on the 15th of the seventh moon of the Chinese calendar(towards the end of August month)

It is an important festival for the Buddhist as it is the day when hungry ghosts or spirits are released from the underworld and are allowed to roam freely on earth.

According to the Chinese belief, it is an inauspicious day and usually all important events are to be avoided during this month. Activities such as weddings, grand openings and scheduled operations surgery are put off or postponed to a later date.

It is also during this time that the elderly would prayed fervently that they would not encounter death during this month particularly as it is supposed to be very unlucky for them to go. It is believed the newly dead would be unfamiliar with the underworld and thus would be robbed and bullied by the other veteran spirits.

Temples will set up giant joss-sticks and food for offering will be prepared for the rituals.

Mountains of hell bank notes will be burnt at temples and by the roadside of shop houses to appease the wandering spirits (spirits without descendant to worship them) and also to honor the restless spirits that are release from the underworld during the fifteen of the seven moon of the lunar month.

Businessmen will display food for offerings on tables placed directly outside their shop, prayers are offered and hell bank notes, replicas of earthly materials things like paper houses, cars, clothes, TV,etc are burnt on the roadside and street corners to satisfy the wandering spirits and past ancestors in order to secure good business fortune and peace for the whole year.

Some Chinese dialects like the Hakka will visit their ancestors tombstones to perform this ceremonies while others prefer to prayer at home. Most Chinese shops except for departmental stores will open for half day businesses only. The festival is celebrated with similar ceremonies at homes, temples and associations.

The highlight of The Ghost Festival is the midnight event. At the stroke of midnight, after performing prayers and rituals, the Taoist priest will blow his whistle to signify the start of ‘Si Koh’ ( rush for the offerings). The devotees and the public will rush inside the temple and grab anything that they can laid their hands on at the tables.

Everybody will try to have the ‘lamp’ first as it is one of the most prized procession. This ‘lamp’ is hosted on a long pole and the competitors will have to climb the pole to reach the lamp. The owner of the lamp can auction this prize for a very good sum of money. Fishermen believed that the lamp, when hung on the mast of their fishing boat, will ensure a safe journey for them and a bountiful catch in their fishing trips.

Other prized possessions are the flags. It is also believed that if you did not get anything, you must get a handful of soil from the ground to take away with you, for it is inauspicious to go away empty handed.

It is an interesting event to witness if you happen to visit Kuching City around this time. One advice though, do keep your distance and stand away from the crowd, if you do not want to be caught in the stampede.

The Keamatan festival is the traditional festival for the Kadazan and Muruts of Sabah. It is usually held after each harvest. The time at which it is held is not fixed according to the calendar but it is usually between May and June.

During this festival, visitors to the state can witness many events are held in conjunction with the celebrations. Come around this time of the month and you will be able to witness ‘the cowboys of the east’ in the buffalo races, the cultural shows, Beauty Pageant, exhibitions and many more. You can even get to taste their traditional ‘tuak’ (fermented rice wine.)

To the Kadazans, it is similar to celebrating a new year. It is a holiday for the people of Sabah. If you happen to be there at this time of their celebration, you can greet them ‘Kopivosian Tadau Ka’amatan’ (means ‘Happy Harvest Festival’). This is one of the most merrymaking and colorful event of Sabah.

According to tradition, this Keamatan festival is to respect the spirit of padi (rice) with the hope of better harvests in the next year. At the festival, there is group dancing (a popular group dance is the Sumazau dance) and an exhibition ceremony.The participants wear a costume following the Kadazan culture, that is, a tasselled black velvet vest and headdress.

Every dancer will carry a stalk of padi (rice), strapped over his shoulder. Apart from the group dance, there is also a religious dance performed by women who are religious leaders.

In Sarawak, Hari Gawai is a traditional Dayaks Festival. ( they are made up of Bidayuhs, Ibans, Kenyahs, Kayans, Kelabits, Muruts and other tribes.)

Its aims is to revive the spirit of padi (rice) and it hopes to achieve better yields in the next year. It is for this reason that the festival is held after each harvest.

Days before the celebration, several events are held in conjunction with the festival like Gawai Beauty Contest, concert etc. It last for three days from 31 May to 2 June in the longhouses of the hinterland. These festive days are holidays for the people of Sarawak.

The most important preparation for the Hari Gawai festival would be the making of the air tapai (tuak).
The ‘miring’ ceremony is held the night before the festival. every member of the tribe will gather in the long house. The head of the household would begin the ceremony with a pantun. He also recites some religious charms while he swings a white chicken. This ceremony begins at eight o’clock at night and lasts until midnight.

Later, all the members of the tribe would be given the air pengayuh ( water which has been recited with religious charms) to drink. The ceremony ends with a dance called the najat. This dance is also know as a war dance. They drink the juice of fermented rice (tuak)and dance till day break.

On the first day, Iban farmers collectively gather grind-stones for sharpening weapons.  Their wives cook a feast of yellow rice and egg curry and get ready betel nuts and leaf cigarettes. This yellow rice is called piring and is place in large dish.The head of the house slaughters a chicken for each person.

The chicken’s blood is applied to the piring and also to grindstones as an act of sacrifice to the demons. The grindstones are then taken back and placed on a sadai(a rack for storing things and rice) in the long houses. Visitors are served with food and the juice of fermented rice and participate in the dancing ceremony.

The Moon Festival (also known as The Lantern Festival) falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth moon of the Chinese calendar. Appropriately, the festive is named after the small, round cakes( moon cake festival) or (Chung Chiu Chieh) and these sweet cakes are eaten during this time.
It is during this moon festive or Lantern month that the Chinese believed the moon is at its brightest and closest to earth and therefore, most beautiful and glorious.

They also believed that the moon symbolizes the feminine elements in life, the Ying element. The moon is always associated with romance, love and marriage. This can be symbolized with the beautiful lady decorated on lanterns or covers of moon cakes boxes.

The eighth moon (September month) is regarded as the most auspicious time for getting married and thus Chinese couples often take this auspicious month to have their weddings. Restaurants, wedding planners and photographers are all fully booked throughout this month. It is believed that the couples will enjoyed an everlasting marriage, love, romance, happiness and prosperity throughout their lives.

The highlight of this moon festival is in the evening on the actual day, that is, fifteenth day. Children will come out to play with their oiled-paper lanterns, designed in all kinds of shapes such as, birds, boats, butterfly and their favorite cartoon characters.

In recent times, technology has also catch up with this traditional celebration. The more recent lanterns have incorporated music, battery operated lighting and made with fire proof material, coming in all sorts of shapes, animals, flowers and of course their favorite cartoon characters.

The fence of the houses will be lined up with paper lanterns and you may get groups of children parading around the villages with their state of the art lanterns. It is indeed a fun and memorable time for these children while the older folks will chit chat on the patio with their friends, neighbors and relatives, sipping Chinese tea and enjoying pieces of moon cakes.

Buddhist worshipers will placed offerings like fruits, moon cakes and chestnuts at the altars for the Moon Goddess. Moon cakes are round-shaped, just like the moon. They are made from eggs, bean paste, pork and lotus seeds. Some come with almond nuts and my favorite comes with double duck egg yolk and bean paste.

It is the tradition in Chinese culture for the young to give gifts of moon cakes to their elderly and in-laws. However, they don’t come cheap nowadays, with the high inflation of sugar, bean paste and flour, a single piece with a double salted egg yolk will cost RM8.00(USD3.00)

In Kuching City, moon festival is celebrated on a grand scale. A whole street will be closed off to traffic and lantern procession is held in the street with a variety of stalls being put up and merchandising their special moon cakes of course. Cultural events such as lion dances, Malay dances, martial arts, etc are held at strategic points around the street.

The streets are gaily decorated with electric lanterns. A must see and experience event for every visitor to Kuching City.

The fifteenth night when the moon is full, is the most enjoyable night in the Chinese New Year. This day is Chap Goh Meh. Chap Goh Meh, being regarded as an exceptional day, marks the end of all the festivals of the year. This festival is observed by the Hokkiens race.

Much ceremony takes place in areas where there are many Hokkiens, for example, Penang. For long hours, after the high dinner, the people stay to dance and enjoy themselves. Stalls and the botanic gardens are dotted with young men and women, who are out enjoy the occasion. They are attracted by all the pomp and ceremony around them.

When the moon is at its brightest and fullest, some of the ladies following past traditions, throw oranges into the sea or rivers with their phone numbers and email contact written on the oranges into the sea or rivers. They do this in the hope that the water will in return bring them good suitors.

On the morning of Chinese New Year, the children awake their parents and grandparents. The children then offer them each a cup of tea and wish them ‘Kong Hee Fatt Choy’ (means ‘May You Always Be Happy and Prosperous’).

The elders in return give the children red packets or Ang pau. This red packet contains money usually from RM2.00 - RM20.00.

It is traditional that grandparents give Ang pau to every one of their children and grandchildren. This symbolizes good luck and prosperity.

For the elderly, exchanging of mandarin oranges is auspicious as this gesture symbolize good luck and prosperity for one another all year round.

All members of the Buddhist faith will pray in the temple. There are also families who build their own altars for praying in the house.

After burning incense sticks and hell bank notes, the Chinese place offerings such as cakes and oranges on the altar.

Chinese welcome their guests with open houses and some invited lion dance to perform in their house.

Lion dance is one of the prominent feature during this festive occasion as the Chinese belief that the invites of lion dance to one’s house during this joyous occasion will drive away any bad luck while ushering the good luck in.

Visiting continues till the fifteenth day of Chinese New Year, the end of the festival. But, on the third day, the Chinese do not visit others. It is believed to be an ‘unlucky’ day. According to old Chinese beliefs, if a person meets a friend on this day, a rift in their relationship will occur at some time during he year.

Chinese believe that whatever they do during this festival will affect their later actions throughout the year. Thus every member of the family will be on his best behavior. Children will bot be punished or scolded, for it is believed that their tears and sorrow could bring misery.

Little work is done in the house. They believe that the sweeping away of dust from the house is similar to sweeping away whatever goodness the New Year brings.

They believe that the sweeping away of dust from the house is similar to sweeping away whatever goodness the New Year brings.

On the fourth day, the Kitchen God returns from Heaven. A special offering is prepared to welcome him back. Some of the food, especially fruit, is place on the altar for the Kitchen God to eat. the offering is to make him feel welcome and happy.

The seventh day is the birthday of all Chinese. They believe that man was created on this day. The feast for the evening consists of fish, vinegar and spices. according to the Chinese, the fish symbolizes man, vinegar symbolizes misery and the spices symbolize happiness.

Chinese New Year

The Chinese celebrate this Chinese New Year according to their own Chinese calender. Each month consists of twenty nine to thirty days. Thus, this festival often takes place between twenty first January and twentieth February of the Gregorian calendar.

According to the Chinese calendar, a cycle of time is divided into twelve years.

Each year in the cycle is named after an animal: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Boar.

Generally, the Chinese believe in the meanings of each of the years.

They believe that certain years are better than others for getting married or for having a new born.

The Chinese end of year is celebrated a week before Chinese New Year. They believe that this is the day when the Kitchen God leaves for Heaven to make a report to the God of Heaven on the behavior of each family during the past year.

Seven days before the New Year, they will make a special cake for the Kitchen God. In this way, believers hope he will be pleased with them and so will not give an adverse report to the God of Heaven. They purposely make the cake a little sticky so that the lips of the Kitchen God will not open easily and he will not be able to talk too freely in heaven. The cake is largely made from sugar-can juice and honey.

During this festival, everything has to look new. Homes are cleaned and decorated. The walls and ceilings are coated with fresh paint. Red banners are hung on walls and door frames. These red banners are left for at least fifteen days during the Chinese New Year festival. Red is a predominant color among the Chinese. To them it symbolizes happiness and prosperity. In fact, the Chinese use red for all enjoyable occasion, for example, a victory or during a religious ceremony. Electric operated lanterns are hung on ceilings and outside the main door. It symbolizes happiness and prosperity.

The reunion dinner on the eve of Chinese New Year is considered one of the most important event as family members far and near will try their utmost to return to their family home. All members of the family gather for dinner. Like the Malays, every member of the family will ask each other for forgiveness.To all, this is the most solemn once-a-year reunion.

The most precious moment is when dinner arrives. The head of the family sits at the head-table. All the other members gather closely round. This is the much-awaited moment. They feel the closeness of family ties. As they eat and drink, they discuss family matters. They toast each other and congratulations are also expressed to successful members of the family.

But the family is most happy when all their debts fro the previous year have been settled. The Chinese, by tradition, make sure that they settle all their debts before the New Year.

Malaysia has the most diversity of festivals. Some festivals have a sliding dates of celebrations especially when they are referring to the lunar calendar which do have a fix date for the celebrations for example the Chinese New Year festive can range from January to late February.

Below are the myriad of different festive celebrated by all Malaysian. We invite you to take a journey through this exotic festivals and feel the mood and atmosphere as you immense yourself into these pages.