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Hi fromĀ Kuala Lumpur!
I spent 10 pre-Valentine days inĀ Georgetown,Ā the capital ofĀ Penang. This is the island where they practice orange throwing onĀ Chap Goh Mei, a Chinese day dedicated to lovers.
Well, the calendar says that the day should be observed on February 12th, so I bought my flight ticket out of Penang on February 14th. But I didn’t know the Penang Government would decide to move the holiday to align with Western Valentine’s Day. As I could only see the island from the plane window that day, there was no chance for me to find romantic love in Penang.
I can understand the government’s point of view. Because of quite a few things happening on the islandĀ these days, they wanted to manage the crowds better. But you don’t just change the date of a holiday at the last minute. I sincerely apologize to everyone who followed the information in my own article and made the same mistake with their travel plans as me.
Many interesting events at the same time were my exact reason for coming to the island. ChineseĀ Year of the DragonĀ was put to rest, and theĀ Year of the SnakeĀ has been welcomed.
To mark the new year according to the lunar calendar,Ā Kek Lok Si TempleĀ traditionally becomes brighter thanĀ Bethlehem, attracting crowds with thousands of lanterns and lightsĀ switching on after dark.
But the main reason for postponing the Chinese Valentine’s Day has been another popular festival, responsible for drawing more than a million people to the island –Ā Thaipusam.
I visited earlier editionsĀ inĀ Batu Caves, in continentalĀ MalaysiaĀ (check my reports on this piercing event inĀ 2017Ā andĀ 2019).
But this was my first experience of Thaipusam in Penang, a place whereĀ thousands of coconutsĀ pay for everything bad that happened, promising a better future. Check out howĀ they smash them in the streets, before the popularĀ chariot processions!
On the actual Thaipusam date, devotees carry Paal KudamĀ milk jars to the temples,Ā pierceĀ their bodies, and engage in otherĀ tests of endurance, such as carrying a heavy Kavadi.
It’s a massive community event, whereĀ everyone is properly fed, as Penang is, after all, a culinary capital.
So I might have missed Chap Goh Mei, but I experienced so much more, providingĀ me with inspiration for new content for months to come.
As for the missed event, luckily there are many moreĀ holidays like Valentine’s Day, so there is always a second chance.
Have a lovely week!
Ivan KraljĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
Pipeaway.com
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