Compiled & Adapted by, Mona & Dilla
Friday, February 4, 2011
CONCLUSION
This is all about Malaysian celebration in Malaysia. Every year we all celebrated different celebration and every celebration have its own meaning and history and you can find all these in our blog. In Malaysia, those celebration are not to be greeted by a particular race but all races can celebrate them together. This not just about a celebration in Malaysia but 1 Malaysia spirit.
CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CELEBRATION
GOOD FRIDAY
What is Good Friday?
Good Friday is the Friday immediately preceding Easter Sunday. It is celebrated traditionally as the day on which Jesus was crucified. If you are interested in a study of the issue, please see our article that discusses the various views on which day Jesus was crucified. Assuming that Jesus was crucified and died on a Friday, should Christians remember Jesus' death by celebrating Good Friday?
The Bible does not instruct Christians to remember Christ’s death by honoring a certain day. The Bible does give us freedom in these matters, however. Romans 14:5 tells us, “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” Rather than remembering Christ's death on a certain day, once a year, the Bible instructs us to remember Christ’s death by observing the Lord’s Supper. First Corinthians 11:24-26 declares, “...do this in remembrance of me...for whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”
Why is Good Friday referred to as “good”? What the Jewish authorities and Romans did to Jesus was definitely not good (see Matthew chapters 26-27). However, the results of Christ’s death are very good! Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” First Peter 3:18 tells us, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.”
Many Christian churches celebrate Good Friday with a subdued service, usually in the evening, in which Christ’s death is remembered with solemn hymns, prayers of thanksgiving, a message centered on Christ suffering for our sakes, and observance of the Lord's Supper. Whether or not Christians choose to “celebrate” Good Friday, the events of that day should be ever on our minds because the death of Christ on the cross is the paramount event of the Christian faith.
What is Good Friday?
Good Friday is the Friday immediately preceding Easter Sunday. It is celebrated traditionally as the day on which Jesus was crucified. If you are interested in a study of the issue, please see our article that discusses the various views on which day Jesus was crucified. Assuming that Jesus was crucified and died on a Friday, should Christians remember Jesus' death by celebrating Good Friday?
The Bible does not instruct Christians to remember Christ’s death by honoring a certain day. The Bible does give us freedom in these matters, however. Romans 14:5 tells us, “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” Rather than remembering Christ's death on a certain day, once a year, the Bible instructs us to remember Christ’s death by observing the Lord’s Supper. First Corinthians 11:24-26 declares, “...do this in remembrance of me...for whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”
Why is Good Friday referred to as “good”? What the Jewish authorities and Romans did to Jesus was definitely not good (see Matthew chapters 26-27). However, the results of Christ’s death are very good! Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” First Peter 3:18 tells us, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.”
Many Christian churches celebrate Good Friday with a subdued service, usually in the evening, in which Christ’s death is remembered with solemn hymns, prayers of thanksgiving, a message centered on Christ suffering for our sakes, and observance of the Lord's Supper. Whether or not Christians choose to “celebrate” Good Friday, the events of that day should be ever on our minds because the death of Christ on the cross is the paramount event of the Christian faith.
GOOD FRIDAY
BUDDHIST COMMUNITY CELEBRATION
WESAK DAY
Wesak Day falls in the month of May and is considered to be the most important festival for Buddhists in Malaysia. This day is celebrated in order to observe the birth, enlightenment and death of Lord Buddha which according to the Buddhists all three of the events took place on the same lunar date. Different countries celebrate Wesak Day on different days due to the difference in the local lunar observance.
When translated Buddha literally means ‘one who is awake and has become enlightened’. This particular term is used to describe a person that has obtained supreme wisdom as well as the compassion of Enlightenment. The concept of Enlightenment for Buddhists can be described as a blessed stated in which the individual attains Nirvana (transcendence of desire and suffering).
On this particular day the Malaysian Buddhist devotees will begin the celebrations usually even before dawn where they will gather at the temples. The Buddhists will then hoist the Buddhist flag and sing hymns in praise of the holy triple gem namely; The Buddha, The Dharma (his teachings) and The Sangha (his disciples). Simple offerings are also brought to the temple such as flowers while prayers using candles and joss-sticks are used.
Besides using them for prayers, these items are also significant in the Buddhist teaching as it teaches the devotees about the non-permanence of life. Like a flower that will wither in due time or candles that will eventually burn out so is that of life which is subjected to destruction and decay. Before the actual day of the celebration the devout Buddhists will eat a vegetarian diet so that they will be cleansed and purified.
Wesak Day is also where you will see many of the Malaysian Buddhist devotees releasing animals such as doves and tortoises. This act is seen as a symbolic gesture of one releasing the soul and giving up for the sins that they have made in the past. Besides that, this particular act is also seen as a way of giving freedom for those that are held against their will or being tortured.
Other significance of celebrating Wesak Day is to make special efforts to bring happiness to those that are less fortunate such as the elderly and the sick. In an effort to bring joy and happiness the Malaysian Buddhists will conduct various charitable activities such as donating money and take the time out to visit orphanages and old folks home and helping out wherever they can.
The statue of the baby Buddha is displayed by some temples and it is usually located in front of the altar. The statue is then placed in a basin filled with water and decorated with flowers where the devotees are allowed to pour water over the statue. The act of pouring water over the statue is seen as a symbolic act of the practitioners of cleansing their bad karma. The other significance of pouring water over the statue is to re-enact the event following Buddha’s birth, when the devas and spirits made heavenly offerings to him.
Wesak Day falls in the month of May and is considered to be the most important festival for Buddhists in Malaysia. This day is celebrated in order to observe the birth, enlightenment and death of Lord Buddha which according to the Buddhists all three of the events took place on the same lunar date. Different countries celebrate Wesak Day on different days due to the difference in the local lunar observance.
When translated Buddha literally means ‘one who is awake and has become enlightened’. This particular term is used to describe a person that has obtained supreme wisdom as well as the compassion of Enlightenment. The concept of Enlightenment for Buddhists can be described as a blessed stated in which the individual attains Nirvana (transcendence of desire and suffering).
On this particular day the Malaysian Buddhist devotees will begin the celebrations usually even before dawn where they will gather at the temples. The Buddhists will then hoist the Buddhist flag and sing hymns in praise of the holy triple gem namely; The Buddha, The Dharma (his teachings) and The Sangha (his disciples). Simple offerings are also brought to the temple such as flowers while prayers using candles and joss-sticks are used.
Besides using them for prayers, these items are also significant in the Buddhist teaching as it teaches the devotees about the non-permanence of life. Like a flower that will wither in due time or candles that will eventually burn out so is that of life which is subjected to destruction and decay. Before the actual day of the celebration the devout Buddhists will eat a vegetarian diet so that they will be cleansed and purified.
Wesak Day is also where you will see many of the Malaysian Buddhist devotees releasing animals such as doves and tortoises. This act is seen as a symbolic gesture of one releasing the soul and giving up for the sins that they have made in the past. Besides that, this particular act is also seen as a way of giving freedom for those that are held against their will or being tortured.
Other significance of celebrating Wesak Day is to make special efforts to bring happiness to those that are less fortunate such as the elderly and the sick. In an effort to bring joy and happiness the Malaysian Buddhists will conduct various charitable activities such as donating money and take the time out to visit orphanages and old folks home and helping out wherever they can.
The statue of the baby Buddha is displayed by some temples and it is usually located in front of the altar. The statue is then placed in a basin filled with water and decorated with flowers where the devotees are allowed to pour water over the statue. The act of pouring water over the statue is seen as a symbolic act of the practitioners of cleansing their bad karma. The other significance of pouring water over the statue is to re-enact the event following Buddha’s birth, when the devas and spirits made heavenly offerings to him.
WESAK DAY CELERBATION
CHINESE COMMUNITY CELEBRATION
Chap Goh Meh in Malaysia
Chap Goh Mei
Chap Goh Mei is basically the last day of the Chinese New Year festival which is celebrated on the fifteenth day. The term Chap Goh Mei is derived from the Hokkien dialect when translated simply means the 15th night of Chinese New Year. Chap Goh Mei is also known as the Chinese Valentine’s Day, another significant purpose for this day besides being tagged as the last day of celebrations. This is also a night where family members come together and have a meal while offerings and prayers are also held in conjunction with the celebrations.
Just like the first day of 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 of the houses provide offerings for the deities as the candles and joss sticks flicker in the wind. If you go to temples you can see many of the devotees perform prayers and asking the God of Prosperity to bless them with success and wealth for the coming year. The night will also be filled with activities as you may be able to witness cultural performances, lion dances and other various activities which you will have to wait another year for should you miss out on it that night.
As mentioned before, the last day is also marked as the Chinese version of Valentine’s Day which will definitely bring forth lots of fun and gaiety. On this night of courtship the young ladies will dress to the nines and go to the temples in hope of finding their prospective suitors. In Malaysia most of the single people turn out on this night for the same purpose of match-making.
However instead of going to temples and finding their significant other, what most of 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 signifies that the lady is available for marriage, however in modern times it is usually to find a boyfriend. This is definitely one of the main highlights of Chap Goh Mei and something that is popular amongst the youths even until today.
You would think that this tradition was passed on from China however it is not. In fact it originated from our very own shores in the state of Penang. The tradition of throwing mandarin oranges started sometime ago in the late 19th century. So every year on that particular day you would see throngs and throngs of single people flock to the Esplanade armed with mandarin oranges and personal information scribbled on the skin of 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 of catching a glimpse of the young maiden and taking their hand in marriage. Obviously this does not happen anymore but the concept of match-making still lives on.
CHAP GOH MEI FESTIVAL
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