Celebrating Chinese New Year Beyond the First Day
Chinese New Year is a time of joy, family gatherings, and rich traditions that extend well beyond the first day. Let’s explore some unique celebrations on the Seventh, Ninth, and 15th days of the Chinese New Year.

The Celebration Carries On
The joy and significance of Chinese New Year extend far beyond the festivities of its opening day. Across Malaysia, diverse traditions and customs unfold over the following days, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the celebration. Let us explore three notable days highlighting the depth of Chinese New Year celebrations.


Seventh Day of the New Year – Humanity’s Birthday
Among the Cantonese community, the seventh day of the Spring Festival, also known as ‘Yan Yat’ or Man’s Day, holds special significance. According to Chinese mythology, this day celebrates the creation and birth of humanity. A highlight of the day is the partaking of ‘Yee Sang,’ a vibrant salad dish featuring finely sliced raw fish and various colourful ingredients. Families and friends gather around the dish to toss its components high into the air with their chopsticks, chanting auspicious phrases as they do so. This ritual, known as ‘lo hei,’ symbolises prosperity and good fortune for the year ahead.
Ninth Day of the New Year – The Hokkiens’ Thanksgiving
For the Hokkien community, the ninth day of the Chinese New Year is of immense gratitude and reverence. Known as the celebration of the Emperor of Heaven, this day commemorates a historical legend where the Hokkiens escaped harm by hiding in a sugarcane plantation. To honour this moment of survival, sugarcane stalks are placed on either side of the family altar as a gesture of thanks.
Prayers are offered with folded gold joss papers shaped into intricate forms like gold bars, ships, and lotus flowers. These symbolic offerings are burned at the end of the prayers, and the blessings are shared among family members. The day is a meaningful reminder of resilience, unity, and gratitude.


15th Day of the New Year – Yuan Xiao or Chap Goh Mei
The 15th day marks the conclusion of Chinese New Year festivities and is widely celebrated as the Lantern Festival or Chap Goh Mei. For the Hokkien community, it signifies the first full moon of the lunar year and is filled with vibrant traditions. Historically, this day was also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day, as it was one of the few occasions when unmarried women could openly meet potential suitors.
In Malaysia, a charming tradition sees single women tossing tangerines inscribed with their phone numbers into the water, hoping their future partner will retrieve them. This custom originated in Penang and blends romance with modern communication as men collect the tangerines and make contact.
Festivities on this day vary across the country. In Penang, the Hokkien community hosts grand Chingay parades featuring floats, lion and dragon dances, stilt walkers, and acrobats, filling the streets of George Town with excitement and energy. Meanwhile, in Melaka, costumed male performers move from house to house, singing and dancing to lively music. As dusk falls, elders gather at the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple for a ritual called ‘Bringing the Holy Fire Home,’ where incense lit at the temple is carried back to family altars to bless their homes.

