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Hi from Kuala Lumpur!
I spent 10 pre-Valentine days in Georgetown, the capital of Penang. This is the island where they practice orange throwing on Chap Goh Mei, a Chinese day dedicated to lovers.
Well, the calendar says that the day should be observed on February 12th, so I bought my flight ticket out of Penang on February 14th. But I didn’t know the Penang Government would decide to move the holiday to align with Western Valentine’s Day. As I could only see the island from the plane window that day, there was no chance for me to find romantic love in Penang.
I can understand the government’s point of view. Because of quite a few things happening on the island these days, they wanted to manage the crowds better. But you don’t just change the date of a holiday at the last minute. I sincerely apologize to everyone who followed the information in my own article and made the same mistake with their travel plans as me.
Many interesting events at the same time were my exact reason for coming to the island. Chinese Year of the Dragon was put to rest, and the Year of the Snake has been welcomed.
To mark the new year according to the lunar calendar, Kek Lok Si Temple traditionally becomes brighter than Bethlehem, attracting crowds with thousands of lanterns and lights switching on after dark.
But the main reason for postponing the Chinese Valentine’s Day has been another popular festival, responsible for drawing more than a million people to the island – Thaipusam.
I visited earlier editions in Batu Caves, in continental Malaysia (check my reports on this piercing event in 2017 and 2019).
But this was my first experience of Thaipusam in Penang, a place where thousands of coconuts pay for everything bad that happened, promising a better future. Check out how they smash them in the streets, before the popular chariot processions!
On the actual Thaipusam date, devotees carry Paal Kudam milk jars to the temples, pierce their bodies, and engage in other tests of endurance, such as carrying a heavy Kavadi.
It’s a massive community event, where everyone is properly fed, as Penang is, after all, a culinary capital.
So I might have missed Chap Goh Mei, but I experienced so much more, providing me with inspiration for new content for months to come.
As for the missed event, luckily there are many more holidays like Valentine’s Day, so there is always a second chance.
Have a lovely week!
Ivan Kralj
Pipeaway.com
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