Chinese New Year with Hokkiens in
Kuala Kurau
Kuala Kurau is a little town just south of Penang. I celebrated
Chinese New Year with the Hokkien population here. I come now
about two years in Kuala Kurau (you may remember I once visited
a colorful Chinese Wedding in Kuala
Kurau) and two years in a row some of my
friends there asked me to join them for the celebration, especially on
the 8th day which continues sometimes into the 9th day.
The house altar in one of the house in Kuala Kurau
The 8th Day of Hokkien Chinese New Year
During the Chinese Ming Dynasty, the Hokkien (they still live in
south east China (in the area of Xiamen) lost a war. They had to
flee their villages. Depending on what you read the attackers
were foreign troops or Han Chinese. However, the most persistent
story is that the invaders were from closer by: the Cantonese.
The Hokkiens fled and hid in the sugarcane fields. The Cantonese
soldiers tried to find them for day but failed. After some time the
Cantonese warriors grew tired of searching the fields and returned to
their own areas.
One of the temples in Kuala Kurau
The Hokkiens returned to what was left of their houses but
they themselves had been spared. The day they came out of the sugarcane
fields was, as they realised, the 9th day of the Chinese New Year.
Grateful they had been spared they offered gifts to the Yu Huang,
the Supreme Ruler of Heaven for their salvation.
As their homes were destroyed, they had little to offer. All that they
had was sugarcane stalks which they offered. The tradition held on until
modern days. Some say the tradition is the strongest in Penang. Although I
have not been in Penang during the 9th Day of Chinese New Year, I was there
a few days after.
Special dishes created for the 8th Day of Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year in Kuala Kurau
It still seems in Penang the tradition holds. However, in the little
town of Kuala Kurau the tradition is very strong. People set up trables
outside the house with gifts for the gods. These gifts can be anything but
is mostly food related. On both sides of the table you will see sugar
cane stalks on both sides of the tables which serves as an altar.
Jelly-fish
At exactly 12 midnight, there will be no people on the street.
At 12 midnight, the Hokkiens come together at home. The father of
the family will burn a huge candle in front of the altar and then
takes 3 burning sticks and performs an ancient ritual: the prayer
to Yu Huang, the Supreme Ruler of Heaven for good luck and fortune.
After the eldest of the family has performed the prayer, usually the
mother and then the children perform the same ritual. After prayers at
the big table altar outside the house, usually prayer for the small house
altars outside and inside the house will be performed.
The last part of the celebration happens in the street. Here huge
amounts of little and careful prepared paper pieces will be burned.
It symbolizes burning money.
The paper pile on the left side will be burned outside (see
the sugarcane stalk on the right side of this photo)
Many of the Chinese in Kuala Kurau Kurau are fishermen. Not surprisingly
some of the special prepared dishes have to do with seafood. And you
can believe me, these people know how to prepare seafood.
And of course, as it should be with the celebration of the New Year,
there was plenty of fireworks!
Crab, prawns and other seafood
As I am not Chinese some of the ideas behind this celebration are
quite alien to me. However, the Hokkien population of Kuala Kurau is
fierce in their beliefs and I love to see not only the elder people
taking part in the rituals. The younger generation is as much involved
in this as the older. This way only this colorful and beautiful traditional
can be brought into the next century. It was an honor for me to be able
to join such an event.
A much more extensive and from the inside written page about CNY is written
by Pearly, who is a local Malaysian lady from a long Chinese family line.
She wrote an excellent page about Chinese New Year from her own point of view.
Read more about Chinese New Year from her point of view.
More photos about the 8th day of
the Chinese New Year with the Hokkiens in Kuala Kurau, you can read here.
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