FINDING MR RIGHT ON CHAP GOH MEI
The practice of throwing mandarin oranges, carrying lanterns is still alive
FOR one day in the Lunar calendar, lovers seek hope in mandarin oranges and lanterns instead of dating apps in search of their potential life partners.
Dating back to more than 2,000 years ago, Chap Goh Mei draws women to bodies of water to throw mandarin oranges and carry fancy lanterns with written riddles in the hope of finding love.
According to ancient legend, women had restricted freedom to roam the streets and took the opportunity to head out to the streets and temples in the hope of meeting people and making new friends on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year.
Master Kenny Hoo of Good Feng Shui Geomantic Research said being the day of the first full moon of the Lunar calendar, the romantic setting was perfect for singles to mingle at parks and lakes, eventually falling in love.
“Although it may have been necessary before, providing the only chance to meet your soulmate, the practice of throwing mandarin oranges and carrying lanterns is still very much alive today.”
He said neighbourhoods, such as Taman Jaya lake in Petaling Jaya, as well as Klang riverbanks and Penang waterfronts, continued to be popular with those who believed in finding true love on the special day.
The practice of getting together during this auspicious day was not only limited to young singles, Hoo explained.
“Anybody regardless of age and marital status can write good wishes on mandarin oranges and throw them as high up and as far as possible into bodies of water.
“The 15th day is the peak of the Chinese New Year celebrations. After this, everyone will have to get back to their day-to-day life. So it’s a good time to profess hopes and wishes for the rest of the year.”
Dating company Lunch Actually chief executive officer and founder Violet Lim said although the idea of a mandarin orange bringing true love seemed far-fetched, there was some truth to the idea.
“According to traditions, scholars used to write riddles on lanterns and the crowd would try to solve the riddles with a potential gift to win.
“In finding love, people are looking for someone compatible who understands us. So the mystery can be regarded as a form of riddle.
Lim said throwing oranges into bodies of water and writing riddles on lanterns might not be the most effective way to find love, but there were lessons that held true from the ancient Chinese Valentine’s Day traditions.
“For example, it’s said that during the Han Dynasty in China, one of the traditional customs involved women showing their skills: carving exotic flowers, animals and unusual birds, usually on a melon skin. Today, you make a good impression by portraying the best version of yourself.
“Finding love is not just about meeting the right person, it’s also about being the right one and choosing the right one.”
For a 29-year-old Klang girl, who wanted to be known only as Nur, the celebration gave her the opportunity to join in the fun with her former classmates every year.
“I’m a hopeless romantic, but for me the celebration is more about an annual get-together with friends. Also, instead of leaving our phone numbers, we put our social media accounts on the mandarin oranges.”
However, Michelle Hsu, 38, does not believe in such traditions.
“I’m way too practical for any of that. Also, I don’t give out my phone number to anybody.”