CNY

Malaysia is having a stretch of holidays from Saturday 09 February till Tuesday 12 February 2013. Enter the year of the Snake. It`s the Chinese New Year! From what I heard, its gonna be a challenging year of the black water snake. Well, whats new? Have you ever gone through any particular year without any challenges? After all, "Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are,” said Bernice Johnson Reagon, American Historian and Musician.

// Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew. They're what make the instrument stretch-what make you go beyond the norm. - anon. //

All together we have 4 days straight of holidays. Most of KL residents will Balik Kampung (go back to their hometown) to spend time with families back there, it does not matter whether they are from the Chinese ethnics or not. The Chinese normally will have to be in the house during the Chinese New Year eve, for a family dinner together. Do not quote me, but from what I know, among the must have dishes are a whole fish (a fish complete with the head and the tail, symbolizing that everything must have a beginning and an end), and prawns and crabs (for the color red, as when they are cooked, they will become red, signifying prosperity).

There will be a lot of mandarin oranges handed out and red color angpows given by the married to the unmarried during the CNY celebrations.

Most major shopping complexes will decorate their complexes with the CNY themes, normally either in reds, pink, with flowers all over or a whole lot of lanterns around. See some of this year`s CNY decor here.