Chap Goh Meh aka Chinese Valentine Day

Today is Chap Goh Meh (pronounced in Hokkien) literally means 15 night actually represents the 15th and the last day of the Lunar New Year according to the Lunar Calendar. In other words, the Chinese New Year officially ends.
(Yes, we Chinese have 15 days celebration of Chinese New Year. But here we only have two days public holidays).

This is the day where one get to see the first full moon of the New Year. That is IF it does not rain tonight. Traditionally, people eat "tangyuan"(rice dumplings in soup) that symbolize the unity of family members with the lighting up of lanterns.

This day is also considered as Chinese Valentine's Day. Young unmarried women would gather around and toss tangerines/oranges into the sea hoping that fate would guide their future husband to pick it up.

This is because in the olden days, young women are not allowed to go out and this night is one of the few occasions where young eligible women dressed to kill impress, were allowed to go out of their houses and perhaps find their future love.

However, nowadays I would think that it will be quite dangerous for young women to just write down their contact information on oranges and throw into the sea/river. Why? Simply because there are a lot of perverts around. Later you see perverts with huge nets to scoop up all those oranges and filter one by one. Dangerous I say.

Nowadays I wont be surprised if I saw oranges written with the following message:

filtering yo

Young women nowadays are very Internet Savvy one. At least two phone numbers with accounts in famous social networking websites such as Friendster and Facebook and even MSN.

Or even oranges with information like the following:

blogger yo

Yep, wont be surprised since blogging is considered the 'IN" thing. Is it?

I definitely will not be surprised if I see something like the following floating down the river.

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Young men are also very paiseh (shy) nowadays

Hey, if young women can throw oranges to find love. Young men too can play the game. Equality of gender remember? No gender discrimination remember?

***Note***
The message on the oranges/banana is meant for entertainment educational purposes only. Not in any way meant to offend anyone.

Anyway, WISHING all of YA

HAPPY CHAP GOH MEH

MAY the FULL MOON
NOT
eludes
YOU
this fine
NIGHT