Cultural In Malayisa( Chinese )

What are the Cultural in Malaysia?

 Culture Practices in Malaysian, Three Major Ethnic Groups (Malaysia) Integration Countries

·         Chinese

·         Malay

·         Indian

Chinese 

Chinese cultural practices are practices since ancient time where the dynasty formed, the ethnic group usually evolved as Han Chinese, the largest and wider ethnic group in the world. Regarding to histories, Malaysian-Chinese are certainly migration from Republic of China in specific of fore ancestry of Malaysian-Chinese. However, in Broadest Senses, Malaysian-Chinese cultural practices generally alike rather than Chinese in China. As Malaysian-Chinese are origin and particularly Han Chinese, they followed the cultural practices as same as Han Chinese.

Although Malaysian Chinese are particularly pure from Han Chinese , The socialization and differences cultural impact & influences our cultural revolution , Malaysian Chinese didn’t followed exactly the practices or within the range of Han Chinese.  Malaysian Chinese tends to follow the traditional significance practices such:

Common Chinese Traditional Practices Festival

·         Hungry Ghost Festival( sustain the month of July in Chinese Calendar)

The month of July in Chinese calendar (August in Western Calendar), where Chinese practices and believe the people who were past were sent up to their world from hell or heaven, Chinese usually prohibit following factors to occur in Hungry Ghost Festival:

·         Wearing Red Shirt( Chinese symbolize red shirt are represent fearful in that month , might be the possibility to lead to terrible things happen

·         Prevent Yelling or Shouting cause Chinese believe this might disturbing the spirit surround

·         Chinese generally burned the Yellow paper ( consider money from hell ) , their purposed of burning those paper represent they are distributing the moneys to spirit, practices usually in first , middle and last term /period of Hungry Ghost Festival. In broader senses, Chinese were burned the yellow paper to relatives people who were past in specific date.

Other Festival Practices ( New Year Practices) 

·          Yusheng, it usually consists of strips of raw fish mixed with shredded vegetables and a variety of sauces, among other ingredients. Yusheng literally means "raw fish" but since is commonly conflated with its is interpreted as a meaning an increase in abundance. Therefore, yusheng is considered a symbol of abundance, prosperity and vigour. Chinese usually fish for yu sheng every Chinese New Year.

·   Chinese New year is not allowed for wiping floor because it might literally means to wipe out the property or moneys.

 Chinese Superstitious/ Manifestation Culture Practices

·         Prohibit should not do during eating

-          Knocked the plate or bowl with chopstick / unlucky premonition

-          Shouldn’t leave any rice on plate / you were rich if your done your dish & food completely

-          Shouldn’t interfere chopstick into rice / unlucky premonition

·         Shouldn’t point on moon / Chinese believes moon as God

-          Point on moon means to unrespectable to God of Moon

-          Necessary to Pray with hands while staring in front moon

•       Shouldn't sit on the Book, as it just make you more stupid

-   News Paper as well

       

•      Physical Superstitious

- Chinese usually didn't cut finger nail at night , they believed that will cause shortened their life span
- Do Not Killed any insect in the month of July ( Hungry Ghost Festival ) because killing in a big prohibition in the month

-  Chinese Believed staring on the girl shower will cause eye infection 

- Should Not Bites your own finger nails , it will shortened your life span

- Garrulous and sharp tongued is cause to bad premonition and losing wealth

•      Attire Superstitious 

- Chinese are generally avoided to wear red color clothes in night especially women, cause Chinese believed red color will bring the spirit came ahead women

•        Special Superstitious

- Chinese are not allowed to Slide the apple or pear in front of mirror at the night, this will cause the evil spirit disturbing

- Chinese believed placing mirror in front of bed will cause the spirits disturb

•       Hotel Superstitious 

- Chinese definitely will not choosing the corner rooms of hotel, Chinese believed there a bunch of evil spirits lived in the corner rooms

-  Chinese will knocked the door before entered to Hotel room, this sign is to warn the intention of spirits to move away from the room for several days. Directly went in are not respect to those spirits.

- Chinese general prohibit against number 4, most of Chinese declined the hotel room with number 4 or end with number 4 cause number 4 sounds like death in the Hokkien or Mandarin pronounces. 

- Chinese usually flush the toilet before uses, cause Chinese believed there was a evil spirits hide in it , as to sterilize and wash away the spirits. ( Hotel Toilet )

- Yelling is not allowed in Hotel Room especially it will warn the attention of Evil spirits came across

•      Presents and Gift Prohibition

- Clock are not allowed to distribute as a present cause it mean curse to Chinese , as giving clock are interpreted as a homophone of a phrase for " Terminating " or attending the funeral as well curse the people to death. 

•      Vacation Superstitious 

- Always pray around for safe while doing jungle or mountain activity, Chinese believed there are Gods and Spirits surround in the Jungle or Mountain. So praying is a sign for Respect the Gods and Spirits.

- Do Not scream or laugh in the Jungle or Mountain 

- Piss are generally avoided in Jungle or Mountain, only do for unexpected situation , but have to pray before you piss. 

•      Chinese Wedding Cultural Practices and Taboos

Click the Links to View: http://www.cityturtle.com/Chinese_Wedding_Taboo.html
( Only for View)

Sources:  'City Turtle.com', " Chinese Wedding Taboos, Rules and Ritual" , Malaysia, City Turtle.com, 2008-2013, http://www.cityturtle.com/Chinese_Wedding_Taboo.html. 

Other Chinese Cultural Festival Practices

Winter Solstice Festival

Chinese usually knead the flour with mixing of water to form the product called Tan Yuan above shows, this symbolize the happiness, blissful and lucky for Chinese Believes.

These was the particular han Chinese culture practices since ancient times, the changes or revolution had not establish to these festival till now.

·         Mid Autumn Festival

More Articles about Mid Autumn Festival Practices

Mid Autumn Festival( Click the Word to View)( Only for View)

Sources: 'China International Information Center',  "Traditional Chinese Festival(Mid Autumn Festival)", China.org.cn. http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/Festivals/78311.htm

·         Dragon Boat Festival Practices

 

More Article about Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon Boat Festival(Click the word to view) ( Only for View)

Sources: 'Travel China Guide' "Dragon Boat Festival" , Travel China Guide.com, http://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/holidays/dragon-boat.htm

·         Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year Prohibition and Practices

1. Houses should be cleaned before Chinese New Year. All brooms, brush, dusters. All the cleaning equipment should put away. Sweeping or Mopping floor are not allowed to done in Chinese New year, Chinese believed it will swept away the good fortune.

2.  Cutting Hair is generally prohibit during Chinese New Year. Chinese believed knife and scissors will cut off the good luck. 
3. Wash Hair is generally not allowed on the first day of Chinese New Year, it consider wash away all the good luck. 
4. Red Color Clothes is suggested for Chinese New Year as it symbolize good luck for the coming years
5. Prohibit against vulgar words, any words which similar as rhyme of number 4 are not allowed to say in the Chinese News Year cause it mean number 4 means die in Mandarin. 

Chinese Unique Eating & Table  Manner ( You Should Grasp it if you going to Chinese House for Meal) 

The Basic Etiquette Table Manner/ Practices

•      Eldest should  waiting for youngest to pick up rice for them as a sign of respect
•      Youngest should wait the eldest to ready in order to start eating , as possible to wait everyone ready on sit and only start eating
•      Youngest should call eldest to eat , a tone to request the oldest to eat
•      Should not use your own utensils to pick up foods , should uses the sharing utensils to pick on your bowl without any touching of your saliva
•      Round Glass ( Can be turn ) , only turn the round glass once they done picked , and it is your turn to pick your foods. 

Special Table Manners

•       Do Not Speak while chewing , non respect sign 
•        Don't Play with your utensils 
•        Burping or Fating is not allowed
•       Do Not talk any things related to Manure ( especially don't share your story stepping on the dung during eating ) this is totally discriminate to Chinese eating practices
•       Chinese are not allowed to blow the drink with straw especially eating, this is a sign of Non- Respect 
•      Should be smiled even though the foods wasn't nice, if not Chinese will assume your criticizing their cuisine 

•       If your had enough of foods, but others still piles for you as you doesn't indulged those foods, graciously allows others to placed on your plate and you just place the food aside and just indicates you do not care for it. This is a sign of respect, if you declined their fervent, the conflict or issues will then occur. 
•       Do Not uses the toothpick wherever you haven done your foods or meal

          

Chinese Daily Practices

In Chinese Cultural Practice, it was rather wider ranges as so much of cultural festival or practices which couldn't evaluated all. So as the Malaysian Chinese Daily Practices. 

Chinese choose to believed every 初(chu) 15 which the 15th of every month in Chinese Calender, Chinese will rather do ritual praying to their relatives people who were past away, as the sign chinese believed every 15th each month, their relatives people's spirits will come back to visit them. 

Chinese often served and placed meals , fruits or tea in front the ancestor tablet. Some Chinese did , some didn't. 

Moreover, Chinese choose to worship piously the ancestors or God in their House with incenses stick every day ( Evening 6:00 , Morning or Afternoon 11:00- 3:00 , Special Festival 15th - 12:00a.m. ) 

Chinese Believed there was more than 6 differences God that surrounding their house, such as Gods of Kitchen（灶公）, Gods of Backyard( Nato Kong 拿督公) , Gods of Living Room , Gods of Sky（天公）， God of Rooms(Jiao Bo in Hokkien Language pronounces) and more.

Greeting Practices

Speaking Manners are the basics quality for greeting, following greeting manners should be done if your are the guest. 

* While you enter the house, you should give prior notice or call the elders first. 

* Chinese always greets with others with a  start of propitious tone or word

* Shake Hand is necessary, as the sign of respect 

* Chinese are not allowed to lecture their son or daughter while they were greeting with others even though their son might done some mistake. It is a sign of respect as only go back and lecture. 

* Absolutely no allowed uses Vulgar words, it will give a bad impression for others

Traditional Attire 

The Traditional Attire for Malaysian- Chinese

Female - Cheong Sum

Male- Samfu

Why Red?
Chinese Traditional Attire often in Red Color , Chinese believed red color symbolize lucky and bring them a lot of wealth and enrichment for prosperous future.



Exclusive Superstitious of Chinese Cultural Practices

 ( Things you might not know in Chinese Cultural)by Chun Hau


Have you heard about Feng Shui ? Nian?Or Nine Emperor Gods?

Yap, Feng Shui as commonly knows by everyone, but do you know what the significance and meaning behind Feng Shui??

Nian ? what is NIAN

In the ancient Chinese cultural, only limited Malaysian-Chinese still practicing for this. As my self, Im a Chinese , so I choose to believed and practiced this.
Nian is the type of beast which every Chinese New Year, it will come out from mountains and taste the fresh of people. However, we believed that only fireworks or firecracker could driving away the beast ( Nian Shou 年兽) therefore , we will be burn out the firecracker as much as possible in New Year time.

Feng Shui

Based on my personal understanding, it wasn't accurate for the true meaning of Feng Shui as myself knowledge. As Feng Shui was a wide topics which rather much theory than the business course. So, Basically, Feng Shui is what we can senses through the interpretation of environmental. A place consider good Feng Shui is where the person could enjoy his life , taste, feeling freedom or joyful especially the wealthy of the person will enhanced. A place which consider bad feng shui such a place could destruct your life, curse your life , unlucky premonition or other bad circumstances constantly happen on the person.

How do we knows the place was on good Feng Shui or Bad?

Perhaps , I couldn't answer this question. You can either view the article I suggested below or consult a Feng Shui Master?
But, Still I thinks that place which surround by Graves or Tomb , as the Bad Feng Shui place cause spirit are surrounding.

Suggested Article which enhance your understanding in Feng Shui

view here= http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-10-21/home-garden/40442570_1_wind-chime-laughing-buddha-energies

Sources: Tnn,  "All you needed to know about Feng Shui" , October 21, 2013, The Times of India/Home Garden..articles.timesofindia.indiatimes, http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-10-21/home-garden/40442570_1_wind-chime-laughing-buddha-energies


Have you ever heard before " Nine Emperor Gods Festival" ? (九王爷诞）
As it consider a famous festival in Chinese cultural. Generally on September (Chinese Calender) 

On the Month of September（初一至初九）, the Nine Emperor Gods Festival generally sustain nine days. Participants who wanted to join the day nine ( Sending Gods to Ocean Walk), should be meet the specifications first. Participants should be give up dining meats for completely nine days, likely as a vegetarians. Should be prohibition against dining meats.In Chinese Perspectives, Participants who were broke the rules and dining meats stealthily within the nine days as they not suppose to do this, they were deserve the right punishment of Gods.

In the Day Nine ( Last days of Nine Emperor Gods Festival), generally Chinese were do a lots of rituals practices. It is hard to describe the English name of those rituals practices, I uses Pictures as example.

 Ritual Practices - Sharp Utensils, Weapon or Cutlery pierce through participants mouth or nose
Ritual Practices- Invited Gods to Body and Soul

More Article about Chinese Cultural Practices

1. http://www.chinese-traditions-and-culture.com/

Sources: ' Chinese Traditions and Culture'  ,  "Welcome to Chinese Traditions and Culture" Chinese Traditions and Culture.com . http://www.chinese-traditions-and-culture.com/

Data Extraction- Communication Research(Interview,Survey questionnaire), Personal Opinions (I'm Chinese), Research Data, Secondary Open Sources

Author Review: Hi, Reader I'm basically a Chinese, therefore I don't really needs much of the Internet References, most of the knowledge of Chinese cultural practices are from Communication Research and Personal Opinion. I highly ensure that the data were reliable and true. 

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