Cover Chap Goh Meh, dubbed as the Chinese Valentine's Day brings a year of love and luck—if you do it right. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Chap Goh Meh, dubbed as the Chinese Valentine's Day brings a year of love and luck—if you do it right. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
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Chap Goh, meaning fifteen in Hokkien, and Meh, meaning night, is the eponymous name of the celebratory last day of Chinese New Year, but what does it have to do with your love life?
The celebration of time decorated through traditions and rituals are seen in many forms—Chap Goh Meh is an excellent example of that. Chap Goh, meaning fifteen in Hokkien, and Meh, meaning night, is the eponymous name of this celebratory day. The fifteenth day of Chinese New Year, and the last, must go out with one last hurrah; and Chap Goh Meh observes many traditions and rituals to ensure the continuity of its significance.
Mainly practiced by Hokkien people, who originate from the Southern region of the Fujian province in China. It is celebrated with many variations across the world, however, the overall thread that connects it all is generally through one thing, and that's love.
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A tangerine trees is seen for Chinese New Year at a street market (Photo by Andrew Gal/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Love as the binding element lends a poetic softness around the usually loud and bright holiday. Touted as the Chinese Valentine’s Day across Southeast Asia, the origins of the story differ across cultures, but the overall objective of finding love and fortune remains the same. One of the popular variations of history predicts this festive courting season began in ancient China when a beautiful crane flew down from Heaven, and was subsequently killed by a few villagers. Angering the Jade Emperor in Heaven, he declared that he set the village on fire on the fifteenth day on the Lunar calendar as revenge. His daughter, concerned, warned the villagers and advised them to light lanterns around the village to deceive him. On the fateful day, the bright red lanterns were lit and hung, successfully tricking the Jade Emperor and his troops. To celebrate, they carry on the tradition of lighting lanterns and parading them around the village.
Above People set of a flying lantern's near the beach during Chap Goh Meh celebrations to mark the end of Chinese New Year at Port Klang. The 15th night of the Chinese New year it is celebrated with prayers and offerings to mark the end of the Chinese New Year. Legend has seen young, unmarried women throwing orange's into the lake hoping to find a good husband. (Photo by Mohd Samsul Mohd Said/Getty Images)
People set of a flying lantern's near the beach during Chap Goh Meh celebrations to mark the end of Chinese New Year at Port Klang. The 15th night of the Chinese New year it is celebrated with prayers and offerings to mark the end of the Chinese New Year. Legend has seen young, unmarried women throwing orange's into the lake hoping to find a good husband. (Photo by Mohd Samsul Mohd Said/Getty Images)
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Over time, this evolved into a way for women and girls to seek courtship during a time where control over women’s autonomy— including stepping outside—was heavily policed. Now, in China, Chap Goh Meh is synonymous with lanterns, and is also referred to as the Lantern Festival. Certainly an unconventional and convoluted way for matchmaking!
Above A woman holds an orange with a prayer message during Chap Goh Meh celebrations to mark the end of Chinese New Year. (Photo by Mohd Samsul Mohd Said/Getty Images)
A woman holds an orange with a prayer message during Chap Goh Meh celebrations to mark the end of Chinese New Year. (Photo by Mohd Samsul Mohd Said/Getty Images)
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However, this tradition varies in Malaysia. Still remaining in the same vein of finding love, unmarried girls will throw mandarin oranges into the ocean with their names written on them in hopes that a suitable bachelor will find the oranges, and fall in love. This uniquely Malaysian tradition comes with an abundance of other superstitions on the day; a few popular ones include not emptying the rice jar, which could be foreboding of the family’s finances, not sweeping the house, and not washing and cutting your hair (this is also observed on the first day of Chinese New Year). In Mandarin, the word for ‘hair’ and ‘fortune’ are homonyms, therefore it is believed you’d be doing yourself a disservice by removing the luck that has fallen upon you during this auspicious time. The lesson here? Plan your haircuts, keep stock of your rice, and clean your house the day before.
Above Women gather at a park as they throw mandarin orange written with their wishes and phone number into the lake, marking the end of Chinese New Year celebrations. (Image: Getty Images)
Women gather at a park as they throw mandarin orange written with their wishes and phone number into the lake, marking the end of Chinese New Year celebrations. (Image: Getty Images)
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One of the most important traditions is to make and eat tang yuan, or yuan xiao—a soft, chewy, glutinous rice ball with sweet fillings; popular flavours include peanut and black sesame that ooze out of the chewy casing like sweet lava. Yuan xiao has origins in Northern China, and Yuan Xiao Jie is the common alternative name used to refer to Chap Goh Meh. The differences between tang yuan and yuan xiao are marginal, both glutinous rice balls with filling, the only difference being the method of preparation. Tang yuan is stuffed with filling, whilst the filling of yuan xiao is rolled in glutinous rice flour. The tang yuan is rich with meaning, both physically and in symbolism, with the soft roundness representing unity and togetherness of the family, showing completeness. Another homophonic symbol in tang yuan is the saying of tuan tuan yuan yuan—a Chinese proverb for unity.
A tangyuan or yuanxiao, traditional food for the Lantern Festival (Image: Getty Images)
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As I’ve grown older, the original significance of Chap Goh Meh and its associations are dwindling. Not in the loss of meaning, but rather replaced and added on through the notion of unity and togetherness. For many people, this might be the single most important day of the year, and it is celebrated with families coming together and reinforcing what matters in their culture. Forging connections with family, past and present, and the acknowledgement of the lineage of which we come from are the main takeaways for me as I’ve grown older. Small personal traditions of my own have slowly found commonplace in my household that gives completeness to Chinese New Year. Whether that be standing in the kitchen with my grandmother and siblings making tang yuan, hands sticky and cracking with dried glutinous rice flour, or hearing my grandmother voicing out constant reminders throughout Chinese New Year – but especially so on Chap Goh Meh – to not wash our hair, sweep the floors, or to wear anything black or with holes, and it has everything to do with luck. A lot of Chinese traditions and superstitions are permeated in the notion of the retention of luck and love, which, I suppose, are one of the few things in this world you can’t predict. So why not help it if you can?
Keandra's expertise lies within writing deep dives into the culture and anthropology of food, sometimes with a philosophical twist. With a background in London's F&B consultancy scene, she's excited to be back in Kuala Lumpur to champion the local dining scene.
Reach her at keandra.hing@tatlerasia.com, @keandruh
