What Is Chap Goh Mei

Chap goh mei is a hokkien term that means the 15 th night of the new year which is why it s celebrated on the 15 th and final day of chinese new year.

What is chap goh mei. In malaysia and indonesia it is commonly known by its hokkien name. Aside from being tagged as the last day chap goh mei is also known as the chinese valentine s day. In mandarin it s called yuan xiao jie 元宵节 which means prime night festival. Chap goh 15th mei night literally means the 15th day of the first lunar month.

In the hokkien dialect chap goh mei simply means the 15th night of chinese new year. People also visit temples during the celebration and offer prayers of prosperity to bless their family for the coming year. Chap goh mei itself means the 15 th night of chinese new year in hokkien which also marks the end of the chinese new year celebration. It is known by many as the chinese version of valentines day.

On the fifteenth day of chinese new year technically the final day of the festival is a day known as chap goh mei. Tsa p gōo mê meaning 15th night. Instead it is simply a very popular festive date marked by many of chinese descent. In the chinese language chap goh mei means 15th night of the chinese new year in hokkien and it also marks the end of the chinese new year celebration.

Chap goh meh chinese. During the celebration families gather over a grand meal which includes yuan xiao glutinous rice balls and homes are beautifully lit with red lanterns. I believe that many of us are familiar with the name chap goh mei in malaysia but in many parts of the world it is known as the lantern festival. 18 in japan the lantern festival is commonly known as 小正月 こしょうがつ.