Holidays

2016 Malaysia Public Holidays

In additional to this list of public holidays you can find the 2016 Malaysia School Holiday calendar here.  National and Penang Holidays are highlighted for your convenience.

Some dates are subject to change. Replacement public holidays are for when the actual holiday lands on a Sunday, the next weekday is given as a replacement holiday.

2016 Malaysia National School Holiday

The Ministry of Education released the 2016 Malaysia School Holiday Calendar.  These should be pretty definitive, but please note that these dates can change.  This list plus the public holidays calendar should help you in your travel planning.  Also note that the International Schools in Penang or Kuala Lumpur do not follow the Malaysia School calendar.  You will have to find the calendar on your school’s website.

Four states in the country, specifically Kedah, Johor, Kelantan and Terengganu start all these holidays one day early and end one day early.  These dates refer to when the rest of the states, like Penang, will have their school holidays.

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Bubur Cha Cha for Chap Goh Meh

The 15th day of Chinese New Year is called Chap Goh Meh, also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day.  It is a big deal here in Penang with events all over including a big gathering at the Esplanade in George Town hosted by the Penang State Government.  Read more about what the holiday is about in last year’s post.  Also visit the curated photo blog Living in Penang illustrated to see images from Instagram of the Chap Goh Meh celebrations.  Find out why young singles are throwing mandarin oranges into the sea.  This year I want to share one of the traditional dishes eaten during Chap Goh Meh, Bubur Cha Cha.

Bubur Cha Cha is the name for a Nyonya dish that is sometimes confused with a similar dish called Pengat.  It is a sweet dessert that is said to make the new year sweeter.  The Cha Cha is supposed to sound like ‘che che’ which in Hokkien means ‘prosperity’ or ‘abundence’.

This is a dish to be shared, so serve it to friends and neighbors today.  It is also the last day to hand out those red envelopes.  Children should be getting their last bit of loot before the river runs dry.

Bubur Cha Cha recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup cubed sweet potato – the orange variety – because orange is the color of Chap Goh Meh
• 1 cup cubed yam, yellow and purple for more colors.
• 100 g pearl sago
• water
• sugar
• coconut milk
• 2 to 3 pandan leaves, tied in a knot

Method

1. Boil Sago Pearls on their own in water until they are soft and translucent.  This should take about 15 minutes
2. Steam the yam and sweet potato.  They should get soft but not mushy.  If you don’t have a steamer, sprinkle with water and microwave for 10 minutes.
3. Bring 1 cup of water and 1/2 a cup of sugar to a boil.
4. Drop to a simmer and add the pandan leaves.
5. Add 1 cup of coconut milk and simmer for 4 minutes.
6. Remove pandan.
7. Add steamed sweet potato and yam, stir to coat.
8. Serve over a heaping spoonful of sago pearls.

Malaysia National School Holidays 2015

Update: 2016 Malaysia National School Holiday calendar can be found here.  2016 Malaysia Public Holiday calendar can be found here

The Ministry of Education released the 2015 Malaysia School Holiday Calendar.  These should be pretty definitive, but please note that these dates can change.  This list plus the public holidays calendar should help you in your travel planning.

Read more…

2015 Malaysia Public Holidays

Update: the 2016 Malaysia Public Holiday calendar can be found here.  The 2016 Malaysia School Holiday calendar can be found here.

Below is a list of the National and State Public Holidays for 2015. National and Penang Holidays are highlighted. Knowing the public holidays in advance can help you plan your time here or time away.

Some dates are subject to change. Replacement holidays are for when the actual holiday lands on a Sunday, the next weekday is given as a replacement holiday.

What’s the difference between Independence Day and Malaysia Day

Every year, there are two public holidays in Malaysia that confuse me every year.  I look it up every year because, every year, I forget what I learned the year before.  In fact just two days ago, I told a friend the wrong information!  That’s how confused I get  There’s National Day, or Independence Day, in August.  Two weeks later there’s Malaysia Day in September. Both are public holidays, so what’s the difference?

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Floating Chariot Procession

Living in Penang, you come to realize every day is a holiday.  Not in the sense that you can kick back and relax, in fact everyone I meet is on the move, working hard.  No I mean every day is some kind of celebration or observance for someone living here.  Right on the heels of Chinese New Year, which ends today with Chap Goh Meh, comes this weekend’s Floating Chariot Procession which will take place in Teluk Bahang.

Click to see a beautiful photoset of this event

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Chap Goh Meh Chinese Valentines Day

Chap Goh Meh (sometimes spelled Chap Goh Mei) marks the last day of the Chinese New Year celebration.  It’s been two weeks of fun food and firecrackers, with Hokkien New Year being the halftime show.  Now it’s time for the unmarried ladies to go down to the Esplanade and throw oranges in the water.  Wait… uh why?
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Hokkien New Year

The story is that long ago, during the Ming Dynasty, the ancestors of the Hokkien were hiding from bandits in the sugarcane fields during Chinese New Year. They prayed to the Jade Emperor, a diety also known as the King of Heaven. For eight days the intruders searched for them and could not find them, eventually giving up. On the ninth day, the Hokkien came out of hiding and celebrated, praising the Jade Emperor for protecting them. They celebrated the Chinese New Year 8 days late.

Here in Penang, the Chinese New Year celebration isn’t one day.  It lasts 15 days.  And the peak of it is today, the ninth day, Hokkien New Year.  The fireworks displays for this particular night outshadow (and out deafen) the ones from 8 nights ago.

Outside many of the temples, and some Buddhist homes are these massive incense sticks that burn for hours.  These are in honor of the Jade Emperor who protected them in the past.  Some also call this day the birthday of the Jade Emperor.

At the markets you can find some specialty foods and knick knacks  like thni kuih (sweet cakes), ang koo (red tortoise buns), mee koo (red-coloured buns), huat kuih (prosperity cakes) and bright pink miniature pagodas.

Sugarcane is everywhere for sale.  I’m told that in the past Perak Road was lined with sugarcane stalks.

2014 Malaysia Public Holidays

Below is a list of the National and State Public Holidays for 2014. National and Penang Holidays are highlighted. Knowing the public holidays in advance can help you plan your time here or time away.

Some dates are subject to change. Replacement holidays are for when the actual holiday lands on a Sunday, the next weekday is given as a replacement holiday.