The Fifteenth Day after the Chinese New Year is known as Chap Goh Mei. It is the day marking the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. The end of the New Year celebrations is the offering of prayers on a grand scale. A family dinner is also organized to conclude these celebrations.

Similar to Chinese New Year, Chap Goh Mei is marked with the blast of fireworks and fire crackers. Red lanterns are also hung in homes to end this auspicious celebration.

Chap Goh Mei is also regarded as a night of courtship, giving birth to the era of match-making. Young women decked in finery, would flock the temples in the hope of finding a prospective suitor. It is also believed that young girls would find compatible spouses if oranges or pebbles were cast into the sea. However, in modern day setting, this tradition is dying fast.

In many cities and towns, a Chinese cultural performance during the night ends the celebration of Chap Goh Mei. Lantern displays, lion dances and a colourful Chingay or ‘flag-balancing’ procession takes place.

Reproduced with permission from:
Glimpses of Malaysia Series, GeoVision Productions (1993- 2003)