‘Chap Goh Mei is an enduring celebration that brings communities together, reinforcing values of unity, resilience and shared heritage.’
– Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
HOW time flies! Next Tuesday, March 3, will be Chap Goh Mei, the final day of the 15-day Chinese New Year celebration.
Although it is not a public holiday in Malaysia, Chap Goh Mei remains a significant celebration among the Chinese community. It features a final reunion dinner with families to strengthen bonds, usher in prosperity and enjoy longevity. Dishes will include fish, shrimps and vegetables to usher in good luck.
Chap Goh Mei is often considered the ‘Chinese Valentine’s Day” because in the past, when contacts between the opposite sexes were minimal, single women would toss mandarin oranges into rivers or the sea, often writing their contact information on them in the hopes of finding a spouse.
In modern times, single women may continue to toss the mandarin oranges into rivers or the sea just for fun and to enliven the Chap Goh Mei celebration.
For instance, the Chap Goh Mei in Hokkien-dominated Penang is a vibrant, large-scale celebration centred at Padang Kota Lama (Esplanade); it features the traditional mandarin orange-tossing ceremony to symbolise wishes for good luck and love, cultural performances, lion and dragon dances, fireworks and huge, lively crowds, marking a grand finale to the lunar new year festivities.
This year, the Chinese New Year festivities in George Town will climax with the Penang Chap Goh Meh Celebration 2026 at the Esplanade from 5 pm to 11 pm.
The evening will highlight one of Penang’s most cherished living traditions — the Chap Goh Meh Dondang Sayang Parade organised by the State Chinese (Penang) Association.
A decorated bus and accompanying floats will ferry elaborately dressed Babas and Nyonyas through the town, serenading onlookers with favourite sayang tunes and pantun exchanges set to catchy rhythms.
Along the way, the performers will mingle with the public, pose for photographs and take part in melodic exchanges. Dondang Sayang is a uniquely Peranakan expression of wit, music and storytelling.
As in previous years, before sitting down to the Chap Goh Mei dinner on Tuesday, many Chinese families will light fireworks for good luck and celebrate the night with more fireworks.
Because Chap Goh Mei is also known as the Lantern Festival, some Chinese clan associations in Sarawak will also hold lantern processions around their premises.
Although much water has flowed under the bridge, my niece, Ah Hong, who’s now 30 years old, still remembers taking part in one such lantern procession with my late father when she was just five years old. The procession started and ended at the Kuching Hainan Association premises at Petanak Road. What made the procession memorable for Ah Hong were the lovely lanterns she and the other participants carried.
In some foreign countries, the Chinese there will observe the day with community events, gatherings at local temples or cultural association dinners.
Thanks to commercialisation, nowadays many Chap Goh Mei dinners or even lunches take place in restaurants which feature luxurious, prosperity-themed set menus.
Having a Chap Goh Mei dinner or lunch at a restaurant offers convenience, festive ambiance and specialised auspicious or traditional comfort dishes without the stress of cooking or cleanup. This allows families to focus on the reunion and celebration in a beautifully decorated setting.
Although it is not legally or religiously compulsory for Chinese to eat Chap Goh Mei dinners or lunches, it is, however, a deeply rooted cultural tradition for many, particularly in Malaysia and Singapore, to do so. It is viewed as the final reunion dinner to mark the end of the 15-day Chinese New Year celebration.
What makes the meal significant is the family togetherness; the dinner is an intimate gathering for family members living under one roof to strengthen bonds and welcome harmony. The reunion dinner is a meal to close the festive season.
After the Chap Goh Mei dinner or lunch, Chinese will return to their regular routines, school and work. Life returns to normal as decorations are removed, leftovers are finished and routines resume, marking a fresh start to the new lunar year, the Year of the Fire Horse.
Personally for me, I am not sure where I will be having my Chap Goh Mei dinner or lunch. I am still waiting to hear from my close family members. Nevertheless, I am sure it will be a memorable reunion dinner or lunch for us all.
Since Tuesday is my day off, perhaps I will cook some simple dishes, too. If I am lazy, I can eat at a food court and buy some of the hawker food like chicken rice and pork leg rice.
I am lucky to live near food courts; the proximity provides me with easy access to affordable daily dining options. Will you believe me if I say the nearest food court is just a stone’s throw away from my house?
My Chinese friends, are you looking forward to next Tuesday? If you are, “Happy Chap Goh Mei! Wishing you a year of joy, good fortune and love ahead!”
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at adelinel888@gmail.com.
