Love Tree at The Curve

During the recent Lunar New Year which falls on Valentine's Day on February 14th, 2010, many shopping centres put up festive decorations incorporating the two themes. Bamboo, peonies, pussy willows, tigers, teddy bears and heart-shaped items share the same location. There is even a "Love Tree" for shoppers to dedicate messages to their loved ones.

Among the Chinese in Malaysia, Cupid strikes 3 times this year:

1) Lunar New Year Day on 14 Feb 2010 is also Valentine's Day according to western tradition

2) Day 15th of Lunar New Year on 28th Feb 2010 is also known as Lantern Festival in China and Chap Goh Mei in Malaysia. In Malaysia, unmarried ones will throw oranges into the sea and lakes in the hope of finding Prince Charming. This is practised in the coastal towns of Penang, Port Klang and other cities like Ipoh, Klang (Esplanade), Petaling Jaya (Taman Jaya), Cheras (Taman Tasik Permaisuri) and Malacca.

3) Qixi Festival on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month on 16th August 2010 - According to the legend of Niulang and Qi Jie in (Cowherd and Weaving Girl), this is the day when Qi Jie, the weaving girl from Heaven is allowed to meet her lover, Niulang from Earth. Magpies would form a bridge across the Milky Way to make it possible for Qi Jie to meet her lover. The lovers were separated by Heavenly Mother (Qi Jie's mother) as a fairy from Heaven cannot marry a man from Earth. The day they meet is regarded as Lover's Day or Chinese Valentine's Day.

Read more about the festivals by clicking on the links provided in (2) and (3).

It was reported recently that despite all these festivals of romance and marriage, the Chinese in Malaysia are still slow in typing the knot. It is common for the Chinese to place financial stability before other things and this is also the same case among Chinese in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.


This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday. To view what others have in their world, please visit here.