The Fifteenth Day

17 Feb 2011 - Chinese New Year celebrations start on the first day on a new moon and end on the 15th day when the moon is full. In Malaysia, Chap Goh Meh is a celebration of both the final day of the Chinese New Year and the day of lovers, also known as "Chinese Valentine's Day". The Chinese New Year marks also the beginning of spring and the 15 days used to be a farmers only holiday, in part because it was also the coldest time of the year. The frozen ground was too hard to work. Whatever the practical reasons, these two weeks became a time for extended family gatherings, lots of food and festivities and carefully observed rituals designed to invite in the good luck and ward off the bad. But from tomorrow onwards we are back to normal.