>On the fifteenth day after the Chinese Lunar Year, it is called “Chap Goh Meh” which literally translates to mean the fifteenth night, it is marked by celebrations.
It is also celebrated as the Lantern Festival.
In particular for the Chinese who lived in times of strict conformance to traditions, culture and rituals, this day can be considered the Valentine’s Day of their generation.
On that night of Chap Goh Meh, the young unmarried women gather by the beach and to toss Tangerines into the sea with the hope that a man would pick up the floating Tangerine and become their future spouse.
It is a custom that originated in Penang, Malaysia which in the olden days was mostly populated by the Hokkien who are known for their strict family values and upbringing.
It is also the only the only day that unmarried ladies were allowed to be seen in public with their future spouse and after that you can imagine the gossip bandwidth that seized the populace of who’s with whom.
And till this very day, this ritual for young unmarried hopefuls continue in Penang, Malaysia. They can be seen on the night of Chap Goh Meh casting their Tangerines into the sea from the shore line. The fashion whether or not it is to re-enact the practice of generations gone by or are there real hopes amongst the casters is anyone’s bone to pick for a debate.
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