Chap Goh Mei, Penang

In direct translation, it means the 15th night and refers to the last day of the celebration of the lunar new year, also called Lantern Festival. Originally, this was the day married women were allowed to visit their natal homes to celebrate the new year. Now that customs are relaxed, most of the Chinese trade and dialect associations celebrate with immense feasts along with cultural shows and variety events. At the Esplanade, an old local tradition is annually re-enacted with an orange throwing spectacle and performances by the dondang sayang serenaders. Hurling oranges into the sea was an old superstition that supposedly brought good match-making luck to young maidens. If you are willing, have a try and see if it works.

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