As the Cantonese saying goes, “Light up the lanterns when you walk on the streets, don’t be scared of police arresting you,” Granny Thong Aw Loy reminiscing about the mid-autumn festival celebrations in her childhood, where everyone gathers together playing with lanterns and wandering around the streets in the village while humming this playful little tune. Despite her octogenarian age, Granny Thong is bright and...
Category: Cultural Customs
Stories about Malaysian festivals, ceremonies, beliefs, performing traditions, and community practices that shape local cultural life.
Xin Yan Hwa Hokkien Opera Troupe
Go A Hee, also known as ‘Min opera’ or ‘Hokkien opera’ within Southeast Asia. Long ago, due to their topography proximity to the sea, the distinctive feature of Southern Min people migrating overseas was shaped. Towards the end of the 19th century, the peak season of Southern Min people migrating overseas, large crowds of them migrated to Southeast Asia. Concurrent with the shaping of local...
Facial Threading
A riddle goes like this: “Four eyes staring at each other, four legs clashing with each other. One bites hard, another’s face hurts”, describing this traditional beautifying skill —— facial threading, also known as shaving fine hairs. Facial threading could be said as a wisdom and technique passed on from ancient times, using one simple tool to get rid of fine facial hair, dead skin...