Ending my chap goh meh

Shhh… don’t tell the Penang state government, but Chap Goh Meh was over two days ago. It’s already chap chhit meh (the seventeenth night), yet they’re still going ahead with their orange-throwing event at the Esplanade this evening! Well, to each their own, I suppose.

As for me, Chinese New Year ended two nights ago with a dinner hosted by the Nandaka Vihara meditation society to appreciate its committee members, volunteers, helpers, and workers. As with all meals at Nandaka Vihara, it was a buffet—tables laden with food, and people moving along, picking out what they wanted. But the highlight of the evening was the unique way yee sang was served. With just one large plate to share among 50-odd people, the usual tossing wouldn’t have been practical. So, someone had the bright idea of tying a long piece of string to the plate and pulling it along four or five tables, allowing everyone to toss the yee sang as it passed by. It worked brilliantly, and everyone had their moment of fun, flinging the ingredients as high as possible.

Meanwhile, the monks at Nandaka Vihara kept a respectful distance from the celebrations. However, the Chief Monk, Dhammasubho, was invited at the start of the gathering to share merits with those present.

Earlier in the day, I had visited the Swee Cheok Tong for our annual Chap Goh Meh worship, a tradition our Quah Kongsi observes every year. The session is always well attended by most of the Trustees and Committee Members. For the past decade or so, I’ve also made it a personal ritual to stop by the Poh Hock Seah, or Tua Pek Kong temple, in Armenian Street after the Kongsi worship. As usual, the area was packed with tourists, but I kept to my routine—slipping quietly into the temple, offering my prayers and leaving without fuss.

So now with Chap Goh Meh ended, the next Chinese festival to look forward to will be Cheng Beng which shall fall on the fourth day of April.

,p.