In Hokkien dialect, it means the 15th night of Chinese New year.

It is celebrated with
prayers and offerings to mark the end of the Chinese New Year. Houses are again brightly
decorated with lights for the last day of the celebration. Legend has seem young unmarried
women throwing tangerines into the sea hoping to find a good husband.
Lima belas hari selepas Tahun Baru Cina merupakan hari Chap Goh Mei disambut sebagai
menandakan berakhirnya perayaan Tahun Baru Cina. Pesta Chap Goh Mei disambut dengan
mengadakan upacara sembahyang secara besar-besaran, di mana colok besar akan dibakar dan
juga diadakan makan besar bersama keluarga. Bunga api dibakar dan tanglung dinyalakan bagi
meraikan Chap Goh Mei.
Chap Goh Mei juga dianggap sebagai malam mencari pasangan di mana para gadis akan
berpakaian serba indah dan mengunjungi kuil untuk berdoa agar mendapat pasangan yang
secucuk. Terdapat juga amalan melontar buah limau ke dalam laut atau sungai dengan doa untuk
mendapat pasangan. Buah limau yang basah membawa pesanan agar mereka mendapat pasangan
yang sesuai.
Persembahan kebudayaan Cina akan diadakan pada waktu malam bagi menandakan perayaan
Chap Goh Mei seperti perarakan tanglung, tarian naga atau singa, opera Cina, dan mengimbang
bendera besar "Chingay".
Chap Goh Mei represents the IiIteenth and Iinal day oI the Lunar New Year period as celebrated
by Chinese migrant communities. The term is Irom the Hokkien dialect and literally means the
IiIteenth day oI the Iirst month.
It is the occasion oI the Iirst Iull moon oI the New Year.
'Chap Coh Mel mewaklll kellma belas dan harl Lerakhlr 1ahun 8aru Clna [angka wakLu sebagalmana
dlralkan oleh komunlLl penghl[rah Chlna lsLllah lnl berasal darlpada dlalek Pokklen dan secara haraflah
berarLl harl kellma belas bulan perLama lnl adalah kesempaLan perLama bulan purnama 1ahun 8aru

The occasion is marked by Ieasting and various Iestivites. In Taiwan it is celebrated as the
Lantern Festival. In Southeast Asia it is known as the Chinese Valentine's Day, when young
unmarried women gather to toss tangerines into the sea - a custom that originated in Penang,
Malaysia.
Young girls became more daring and innovative in their pursuit to catch a "man" by writing their
mobile number on the mandarin.

Chap Goh Meh or Tzap Goh Mei (Chinese: pinyin: 8J2J3 literally "fifteen night")
represents the fifteenth and final day of theLunar New Year period as celebrated by Chinese
2igrant co22unities. The ter2 is fro2 the Hokkien dialect and refers to the fifteenth day of the
first 2onth, which is the occasion of the first full 2oon of the New Year.
The occasion is 2arked by feasting and various festivities, including the consu2ption of
tangyuan. n traditional Chinese culture, it is also celebrated as the Lantern Festival or the
Shang Yuan Festival. n Southeast Asia, however, it coincides with the Chinese Valentine's
Day.
[1]
t is also when young un2arried wo2en gather to toss tangerines into the sea, in a hope
that their future spouse will pick it up a custo2 that originated in Penang, Malaysia. n the
past, this was also the only day that un2arried ladies could be seen with their partners.


Chap Goh Mei is basically the last day oI the Chinese New Year Iestival which is celebrated on
the IiIteenth day. The term Chap Goh Mei is derived Irom the Hokkien dialect when translated
simply means the 15th night oI Chinese New Year. Chap Goh Mei is also known as the Chinese
Valentine`s Day, another signiIicant purpose Ior this day besides being tagged as the last day oI
celebrations. This is also a night where Iamily members come together and have a meal while
oIIerings and prayers are also held in conjunction with the celebrations.
Just like the Iirst day oI Chinese New Year, Chap Goh Mei is celebrated on a grand scale as the
houses are decorated with bright lights and red lanterns. You can see that many oI the houses
provide oIIerings Ior the deities as the candles and joss sticks Ilicker in the wind. II you go to
temples you can see many oI the devotees perIorm prayers and asking the God oI Prosperity to
bless them with success and wealth Ior the coming year. The night will also be Iilled with
activities as you may be able to witness cultural perIormances, lion dances and other various
activities which you will have to wait another year Ior should you miss out on it that night.
As mentioned beIore, the last day is also marked as the Chinese version oI Valentine`s Day
which will deIinitely bring Iorth lots oI Iun and gaiety. On this night oI courtship the young
ladies will dress to the nines and go to the temples in hope oI Iinding their prospective suitors. In
Malaysia most oI the single people turn out on this night Ior the same purpose oI match-making.
However instead oI going to temples and Iinding their signiIicant other, what most oI them do is
take mandarin oranges and write their name and phone number on it. Then they would throw it
into a lake or a pond which traditionally signiIies that the lady is available Ior marriage, however
in modern times it is usually to Iind a boyIriend. This is deIinitely one oI the main highlights oI
Chap Goh Mei and something that is popular amongst the youths even until today.
You would think that this tradition was passed on Irom China however it is not. In Iact it
originated Irom our very own shores in the state oI Penang. The tradition oI throwing mandarin
oranges started sometime ago in the late 19th century. So every year on that particular day you
would see throngs and throngs oI single people Ilock to the Esplanade armed with mandarin
oranges and personal inIormation scribbled on the skin oI the oranges.
Another tradition with regards to Chap Goh Mei is that this is the only day throughout the whole
year where the young maidens would be allowed to walk the streets but they must be
accompanied by a chaperon. The young men would also go out and in hopes oI catching a
glimpse oI the young maiden and taking their hand in marriage. Obviously this does not happen
anymore but the concept oI match-making still lives on.

## Chap Coh Mel pada dasarnya adalah harl Lerakhlr darl perayaan 1ahun 8aru Chlna yang
dlrayakan pada harl kellma belas lsLllah Chap Coh Mel berasal darl dlalek Pokklen keLlka dlLer[emahkan
bererLl Larlkh 13 malam 1ahun 8aru Chlna Chap Coh Mel [uga dlkenall sebagal Parl valenLlne Chlna
Lu[uan penLlng laln harl lnl selaln dlLandal sebagal harl perayaan lnl [uga merupakan malam dl mana ahll
keluarga daLang bersamasama dan makan persembahan dan doa semenLara [uga dladakan bersama
dengan perayaan Sama seperLl harl perLama 1ahun 8aru Clna Chap Coh Mel dlsambuL pada skala besar
seperLl rumahrumah dlhlasl dengan lampulampu Lerang dan lenLera merah Anda dapaL mellhaL
bahawa banyak rumahrumah memberlkan persembahan bagl para dewa sebagal lllln dan dupa berkellp
dalam angln !lka anda pergl ke kull anda boleh mellhaL banyak umaL melakukan doa dan memlnLa Allah
kese[ahLeraan unLuk memberkaLl mereka dengan sukses dan kekayaan unLuk Lahun yang akan daLang
Malam [uga akan dllsl dengan keglaLankeglaLan seperLl anda mungkln boleh menyakslkan persembahan
kebudayaan Larlan slnga dan pelbagal keglaLan laln yang akan anda harus menunggu seLahun lagl unLuk
harus anda melewaLkan malam lLu SeperLl yang dl[elaskan sebelumnya harl Lerakhlr [uga dlLandal
sebagal versl Chlna Parl valenLlne yang pasLl akan mendaLangkan banyak bersenangsenang dan
gemblra ada malam lnl pacaran wanlLa muda akan gaun ke sembllan dan pergl ke kull dl harapan
menemukan calon pemohon mereka ul Malaysla sebahaglan besar la[ang LernyaLa malam lnl unLuk
Lu[uan yang sama kesesualan pembuaLan namun bukannya pergl ke kull dan mendapaLl mereka
penLlng laln apa yang kebanyakan mereka lakukan lalah memuaL [eruk mandarln dan menulls nama dan
nombor Lelefon dl aLasnya kemudlan mereka akan membuangnya ke Laslk aLau kolam yang blasanya
menandakan bahawa wanlLa sedla unLuk perkahwlnan namun pada zaman moden blasanya unLuk
mencarl pacar lnl [elas salah saLu hlghllghLs uLama Chap Coh Mel dan sesuaLu yang popular dl anLara
para pemuda bahkan hlngga klnl Anda akan berflklr bahawa Lradlsl lnl dlLurunkan darl Chlna LeLapl lLu
Lldak 8ahkan lLu berasal darl panLalpanLal klLa sendlrl dl negara bahaglan ulau lnang 1radlsl
melempar [eruk mandarln mulal beberapa wakLu yang lalu dl akhlr abad ke19 !adl seLlap Lahun pada
harl lLu anda akan mellhaL kerumunan dan kerumunan la[ang ke Lsplanade kawanan bersen[aLa dengan
[eruk mandarln dan menullskan maklumaL perlbadl pada kullL [eruk 1radlsl laln berkalLan dengan Chap
Coh Mel adalah bahawa lnl adalah saLusaLunya harl sepan[ang Lahun dl mana gadlsgadls muda akan
dlbenarkan unLuk ber[alan[alan LeLapl mereka harus dlserLal oleh seorang pengawal rla muda [uga
akan keluar dan dengan harapan blsa mellhaL sekllas gadls muda dan memuaL Langan mereka dalam
perkahwlnan !elas lnl Lldak berlaku lagl Lapl konsep pembuaLan perlawanan maslh hldup