Celebrated over a periods of 15 days, beginning from the first day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, this is the most important annual festival for the Chinese community.
Legend has it, Buddha invited all animals to his kingdom but only 12 attended. With that, Buddha dedicated a year to each animal. Each year is named after one of the 12 animals according to the Chinese Zodiac.
Chinese New Year is celebrated with abundance of delicacies , family gatherings, & the lighting of fire crackers at midnight.
Ang Pows or red packets of money are given to the young and unmarried while the symbol of prosperity, the mandarin orange, is liberally consumed.
It is the time when offerings are made to appease the spirits and gods. Houses are cleaned and decorated to prepare for the big day. New clothes are bought and worn.
The colour red is vividly displayed in many homes for 'prosperity' and 'luck'. The traditional dragon and lion dances herald in the new year, amidst banging gongs and drums. Penang is the place to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
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