Holidays Galore!

Chinese Lion Head

Before, Xmas Tree, Now, CNY Tree!

    Well, yesterday was Jan. 8 and the Catholic church next door seemed very reluctant to let Christmas disappear into memory.   They sang (with great gusto) one Christmas carol after another!  The most ironic was "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!"  Looking back, all over Penang, that seemed to be THE most popular of the Christmas songs.  Is it because it's not a religious song or maybe it's just wishful thinking, since many Malaysians have never seen the fluffy white stuff.  The congregation finished off with "We Wish You a Merry Christmas and a HAPPY NEW YEEEAAR !  


        Malaysians seem to really get into Chinese New Year, and all other holidays as well, though sometimes they get mixed up a bit, at least where Hubby works.  Above are their Lion Dance head and their transformed Christmas tree.


      Christmas in Penang was quite flashy, but Chinese New Year is even more so.  Everywhere you look, you see masses of red -- red lanterns, red trees, red cards, red everything.  And what isn't red, is pink--cherry blossom pink.  




          As for their multi-purpose manger scene. . . .?  Recently it became a Chinese New Year display -- just like that!   Remember that manger scene that changed every day or two?  Well, now it has become a Chinese New Year Manger.  (The original palm frond roof is covered with "ang pow", the little envelopes, usually red, that are used for giving money to others, especially during the Chinese New Year season.)

Once a manger scene, now a CNY display

    This year people get two days off for Chinese New Year -- Jan. 23 and 24th.  And there are another 2-3 holidays in early February--national days, Muslim and Hindu religious days and such.  Malaysians are fond of tacking their annual leave onto these days to create long strings of days off.  Good for them, but bad for their employers and  productivity in general. The paper said recently that "Malaysians enjoy over 50 national, school and state holidays a year."  This puts Malaysia among the top 10 countries in the world in terms of the number of public holidays.  Too bad I'm retired now and don't have to take advantage of them.  Anyway,


HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOOOOOOU !!!