Whats Wrong With Chinese New Year in Malaysia?
It’s the second day of Chinese New Year here in Malaysia, and things are rather quiet.
That’s right - quiet.
And wet too - it’s been raining the past few days (no suprise).
Is there something wrong? I thought Chinese New Year is supposed to be filled with noise and colors. Maybe it’s because I’m in Kuala Lumpur right now, instead of a smaller town like my home town Kluang?
Here’s what I feel is missing:
The Cheongsams and Traditional Costumes
[Image from OrientalTouch.com]
I went around town yesterday, and also visited my girlfriend’s friend, and no cheongsams to been seen anywhere. Will the cheogsam become something our kids read about in history or cultural books, or get to see in cultural exhibitions?
I mean, what’s wrong with it? Is it too hot? I can’t beleieve that as it looks “airy” enough 
Is it too skimpy? I can’t believe that either as I’ve seen girls here wear micro-mini shorts and tubes just to get to the grocery store
So what is it then. This costume is supposed to symbolize the Chinese culture. I can say for a fact that more Indian women wear sari and lennga during Deepavali or even just for fun.
Maybe the women reading this post can help me out, I just don’t get it why such a sensual and elegant costume gets abandoned.
The Loud Firecrackers
The Malaysian government has long banned firecrackers, and I feel this has eroded the spirit of Chinese New Year as well.
I don’t know the stats, but I think not many have died from it. It’s the meriam buluh (bamboo cannon) that’s dangerous, and have been proved to reduce the population consistently.
So just ban that!
I heard someone mention that nowadays, what you have is a recording of firecrackers played on small radios and a fake “decorative” one as substitutes. I think that’s sad.
I say bring back the firecackers.
The Lion / Dragon Dance
Even when I was younger I hardly got to see a dragon dance, but the lion dance version was quite common.
But I think in the next few years, lion dances will be a luxury, or confined to cultural exhibitions only. I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but Chinese New Year seems to me like it’s a fading tradition.
(Even Google has a logo for Chinese New Year.)
All good memories I have of Chinese New Year were from my childhood days in my hometown where i will pester my dad to bring me out to watch the lion dances, and I’ll get all excited when they light the 5-8 foot long red firecrackers that sound like a machine gun.
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I suppose it takes the multicultural Indian to appreciate and involve oneself in the analysis of ‘other’ cultures and cultural experiences. Perhaps, ‘others’ ought to follow suit and view all cultures as one’s culture by virtue of one’s ability to adopt any culture or cultural elements as one’s own by virtue of its virtuousness. Good one Gobala!
Couldn’t agree with you more there gobala…especially regarding the firecracker part…
speaking of that, the folks in my place do know where to get their stock…lots of “bom bang” here since saturday…
ahh..well, just reminds me of the old days.
Although its also raining here in Kuching, fireworks have been going on nonstop for the past couple of nights, even before the eve of CNY. Perhaps the ban on fireworks is more strictly enforced in bigger cities like KL
As a Chinese, the worse thing is firecrackers / fireworks. In Sibu, these rich Chineses just simply set them off oblivious to the passing traffic, the parked traffic, the next door’s house, the next door neighbours, the people with weak physically heart like heart attack. You as an Indian would not know the experience until you stay in the Sibu Chinese neighbourhood. The fireworks go off for one hour plus and for the next how many days, the bomb will go off without warning and the sound if I am not wrong, is similar to a real killing bomb. The noise itself panics you and if you have a physical condition, be sure that you might die from it. Oh buy a life insurance just in case. And all these in the name of warding off evils and bringing in the new year. What bloody shit is that if it means bringing nothing but misery and misery is already one of the bad lucks in human lives. You think these submental Chineses know all these ? And the Chineses who come back from some developed countries become undeveloped overnight. Instead of having the civic consciousness which they put on while in another country, they somehow lose it all and become uncivilized themselves. Try coming here and staying for 15 days over the Chinese New Year. Make very sure all your neighbours are Chineses. Then see which one you prefer ? The so called traditional Chinese atmosphere or the one with considerate thoughts that go into it ? Do you know that in traditional times, before you set off your firecracker, you have to scream and shout and tell the whole village that you are about to light the firecracker ? Nowadays it is just pure rudeness for one to set off the bomb type of firecrackers thinking everyone is as healthy as they are at any time they like. You think with modernization with the vision 2020, people are becoming more civilized ? They are worse off. They always talk about history. But they forget that even in history, in traditional times, whatever you do, you have a reason, rule and regulation and you don’t just go around making everybody uncomfortable. It is pure selfishness to please one’s desires and forgettting the space of others. If you don’t know about the bomb type of firecracker, please buy one and set it off yourself. Then tell the world whether you feel good at all. In case you can’t get it, you will have to get it through black market. I see that you are a marketing specialist. Please market the products that are friendly to everyone. Like the firecrackers. In case you need to sell them, sell the ones that are friendly. Not the bomb type which cost RM 100 per item.
Yes I also feel that the atmosphere for chinese new year is getting weaker and weaker as year goes by. For the fire cracker part, Singapore are not allowed to do so
John Tan
http://www.JohnTanBlog.com
Oh well I guess what bala is trying to highlight here is that …
1) the emptiness of CNY without the firecrackers:), I do miss them ( I am against over doing them)
2) the less of traditional attire worn by the Chinese community and what could the possible rational answer to not wearing one
I am an indian and I have a few sexy cheongsams of my own, and believe me when I say my chinese frens do at times borrow them.
I love chinese ney year, I love the firecrackers and I love the chinese attire!
You have lost the whole spirit of celebrating Chinese New Year. May be you should consider moving as well….