Today marks the 15th day of first month, the last day of chinese new year celebration. According to wiki, it is called :
'Yuanxiao Festival/Yuánxiāojié (元宵节), aka Shangyuan Festival/Shàngyuánjié (上元节) or the Lantern Festival (otherwise known as Chap Goh Mei Chinese: 十五暝; pinyin: Shíwǔmíng; literally "the fifteen night" in Fujian dialect)'.
Do not get it confused with Mid-Autumn festival aka Mooncake festival in Malaysia eventhough both has something to do with lantern. The Mooncake festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month. Chap Goh Mei is also regarded as the Chinese Valentine Day.
So, apart from lit candle outside the house, singles, especially women will take this opportunity to seek their love partner. The tradition is single women will write their contact number/address on mandarin orange and throw it in a river while men will await with net to fish out the oranges. The taste will determine the outcome; sweet is associated with successful and good fate while sour may not be something the guy would prefer.
I find this tradition to be interesting and amusing at the same time. In my opinion, this is better than the St. Valentine Day that is highly overrated. There is history behind St. Valentine Day, I don't deny that, but it got nothing to do with lovers or human relationship but rather it should be the Christian celebration for the bravery of the martyr, their saints that sacrificed themselves during Romanian empire for the religion. Nonetheless, it is people's choice and I got no problem with it ^_^
Maybe I should go and throw orange also with the hope that some random gay have the luck of fish it out and contact me xD hehehe
Love,
me
I do agree with the fact that Valentines day is highly overrated. Sometimes I feel like it's a marketing strategy. I mean, think about the profit made my florists and chocolate shops around that time. Tsk tsk.
ReplyDeleteYeah, try to compare the price now and the price a few days or a day before the valentine when forgetful bf is frantically looking for choc for his partner..I bet it could even triple by that time >_<
DeleteWhere can I throw my mandarin orange meh?
ReplyDeleteI got no river here
U sure no river meh??or u just lazy to go out look for one?hahaha..as far i know, if ur place is really ulu like u said, there shud be one around ^_^
Deletemy here the river beku.. sorry..
ReplyDeletehaha...too bad..oh well, u dont have need of such traditional method..just posts ur YOUNG and CUTE face on the net..there sure be a lot of takers...hahahaha =P
Deletemy river muddy already..even if my orange is sweet, people x nak makan one!
ReplyDeletehahaha...so better go throw directly at the one u like lo..cleaner and he get it faster..hahaha xD
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