New year celebration in Netherlands and Malaysia
Posted by wan jing , Thursday, March 4, 2010 6:23 AM
Netherlands, considered to be one of the most beautiful paradise, on the earth inhabited by the Dutch people often refer navy as Holland celebrates new year with unparalleled enthusiasm and zeal. Netherlands new year is a time of great festive occasion marked by unique fanaticism all over the country.1st of January is looked forward with great anticipation. In fact, new year celebrations in Netherlands is a time of family gatherings union dominated by entertaining new year bash at every pub and bars. Like other festivals of Holland, new year is a wild celebration there with variety of drum bands, opera's and cabarets held at every different parks of the city of Amsterdam.
Traditional new year event in Netherlands are observed by dance fairs, theatre festival and week long musical carnivals. The native Dutch inhabitants welcome the new year by burning bon fires of the Christmas tree at the middle of the streets to disperse evil spirits and all night party at the street avenues. Since new year in Netherlands falls in the season of winter with cold chill winds blowing the Dutch prefer to spend the new year evening at home by watching T.V. or playing traditional indoor games. In fact the new year's evening is a great time to ponder on specially prepanavy and deep fried dishes of 'Dutch oliebol' made of doughnuts for they believe that eating doughnuts on new year's brings in good luck.
New year festival in Amsterdam is a worth while event with colorful parades where people dress up in strange and humorous caricatures. Dutch new year's eve is uphold as the perfect time to catch on family and friends and enjoy the good time by pondering over pork and conventional Dutch delicacies like sauerkraut .A major attraction of the new year events according to the Dutch tradition is the participation of thousands of people in the 'Swimming competition' held at the cold freezing North Sea. Thus, new year in Netherlands is a great time to feast on.
'Dutch Oliebol' made of doughnuts.
Chinese New Year Celebration in Malaysia
The Chinese new year is an important festival of Malaysia and is celebrated with great excitement and gusto. The day is basically celebrated on the occasion of the initial day in the Chinese lunar calendar. It is regarded as the most important festival for all the Chinese folk, living in this southeast Asian country.
Practices of Chinese New Year Celebration in Malaysia
It is a tradition among the Chinese to name each year after an animal from the Chinese zodiac. In the days, preceding the Chinese new year, the Malaysians clean their residences and then decorate them. The decorations are done keeping in mind the Chinese new year.
In preparations of the Chinese New Year, the Malaysians settle their debts and also make offerings. They buy new cloths and prepare a lot of food for use in the Chinese new year celebrations.
Positive Aspects of Chinese New Year Celebration in Malaysia On the Chinese new year, members of a family come from far flung places. People give and take new year cards with their relatives and friends. Families across Malaysia hold reunion dinners just the day before the Chinese new year arrives. In this dinner one is not allowed to dwell in negative thoughts or use foul language while speaking.
Attractions of Chinese New Year Celebration in Malaysia
Among the major attractions of the Chinese new year celebration in Malaysia are small fire works and lion dances. On this day red papers are pasted on both sides of houses. These red papers contain Chinese characters, that show wealth and prosperity. Malaysians give out ang-pows to the old people and the kids. The ang-pows are red packets that contain money.
They also practice open houses for their relatives and friends, who belong to different ethnic races. The Chinese new year celebrations last for a fortnight but the emphasis is primarily on the first three days. The Chinese new year celebrations end with Chap Goh Mei on the last day.
After reading some of the celebrations in other countries, I prefers to celebrate Chinese New Year in Malaysia. The reason is I loves the dishes prepared during reunion dinner. The dishes are given interesting and meaningful names such as 'nian nian you yu'. The word for fish, "Yu," sounds like the words both for wish and abundance. As a result, on New Year's Eve it is customary to serve a fish at the end of the evening meal, symbolizing a wish for abundance in the coming year.
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