Singapore's biggest street parade

The Chingay parade is a uniquely Singaporean celebration that has grown from being a traditional Chinese New Year procession to being Asia’s largest street parade. The name “Chingay” is a Hokkien phrase that means “the art of costume and masquerade”. Since the first parade in 1973, Chingay has evolved into a diverse festival with global influences, involving 2,000 performers from Singapore and other countries such as Ghana, Brazil and Slovenia. “To me, Chingay represents the ethnic diversity of Singapore. There are performances from many different ethnic groups and cultures,” said Tay Yan Ping, a percussionist from Singapore-based Lila Drum Productions, who has performed twice at Chingay. “I am definitely proud to have been a part of Chingay, especially in my home country!”

Tossing up good fortune

On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, also known as renri or “human day”, ethnic Chinese in Malaysia and Singapore practise the culinary tradition of lo hei, a Cantonese phrase meaning “tossing up good fortune”. Families and friends gather to toss up the ingredients of this raw fish salad, while chanting auspicious well wishes out loud for good luck. It’s believed the higher the participants toss the ingredients, the greater their fortune will be. The salad is usually made up of white and green radish, carrots, pickled ginger, radish and slices of raw fish (commonly salmon), drenched with a fragrant dressing of plum sauce and five spice powder. This is an essential tradition in my home, and even though lo hei often results in a mess, everyone in the family enjoys the fun that comes with tossing food around.

Freedom to celebrate in Indonesia

Under the authoritarian ruler Suharto from 1966 to 1998, Chinese Indonesians were not allowed to publicly celebrate Lunar New Year. In 1998, however, Suharto stepped down, ending 32 years of rule and ushering in Indonesia’s era of reform. Lunar New Year was then declared a national holiday in 2002. “Over the past few years, Chinese culture has been more accepted in Indonesia,” said Lim Mui Suan, a native Indonesian from Pontianak. “These days, New Year decorations and goodies are much more available and we can even light fireworks in public.”These Chinese immigrant communities brought the unique traditions of their hometowns to Indonesia.

Filipino Chinese uniteFor centuries there has been a significant Chinese presence in the Philippines. Filipinos of pure Chinese descent are called “Tsinoy”, while Filipinos with some Chinese ancestry are “Sangleys” – in total, they make up between 18% to 27% of the total Philippine population. The country’s biggest Lunar New Year celebrations are held in Manila’s Chinese district, Binondo, with massive lion dance parades and street performances.