Getting To Know Cap Go Meh, A 15-Day Celebration After Chinese New Year Which Is Identical To Lanterns

Illustration of Lantern (Perdana Kurniawan/Pexels)

JAKARTA - This year, the Chinese community celebrates the Lunar New Year which falls on February 1, 2022. Usually, Chinese citizens perform prayers and carry out various traditions from generation to generation which are believed to bring blessings throughout the year.

After the Lunar New Year, exactly 15 days later, the Chinese will return to gather with their families to welcome Cap Go Meh. Cap Go meh is the closing day of Chinese New Year.

Cap Go Meh comes from the Hokkien dialect which means 15 nights or days after Chinese New Year. When interpreted word by word, Cap means ten, Go is five, and Meh means night. Apart from Indonesia, the Cap Go Meh Celebration or Lantern Celebration is also celebrated by neighboring countries such as Malaysia and Singapore. In China, the Cap Go Meh Festival is known as the Yuanxiao Festival or the Shangyuan Festival.

Cap Go Meh is a celebration held in honor of the Thai God Yi. Thai god Yi was considered the supreme god in the sky during the reign of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-221 AD).

In the past, Cap Go Meh was only done specifically for the nobility, not ordinary people. This festival is held at night and is synonymous with the ceremony of releasing lanterns or lanterns into the air.

This ritual is believed to be a symbol of letting go of bad past and welcoming good fortune in the future. This celebration finally began to be widely known by the public after the reign of the Han Dynasty ended.

Unlike the Chinese New Year which is celebrated by visiting a temple or temple to say a prayer, when Cap Go Meh the Chinese people come to the temple while bringing offerings in the form of basket cakes and praying to give thanks and ask for safety.

Then continue with watching the Lion Dance and Lion Dance attractions during the day. The Lion Dance attraction must be done while sounding firecrackers. Because, firecrackers are believed to be able to repel negative energy and will clean all locations that the Lion Dance passes through.

The Lion Dance is a symbol of happiness, joy and well-being. While the Lion or dragon is considered a symbol of power or strength. According to Chinese belief, a family will be very big if their child is born in the Year of the Dragon.

Furthermore, at night it is closed by gathering at home with the family to remove the lanterns or if you want to be more solemn, you can visit the Temple and Vihara to hold a release procession while being led by a Monk or Xue Shi (Confucian Priest).