Candle lighting, lion dance usher in Chinese New Year at Kuching Buddhist Society temple

KUCHING (Feb 17): Religious observances marked a significant start to the Chinese New Year in Sarawak, as devotees thronged the Kuching Buddhist Society temple.

According to the society’s chairman, Kho Kak Hee, devotees light candles bearing their names along with those of their families as a gesture to offer prayers for prosperity.

“There are lotus-shaped and pineapple-shaped candles. The pineapple-shaped ones are often associated with prosperity, reflecting how pineapples are traditionally seen as symbols of good fortune,” he told The Borneo Post on the first day of Chinese New Year.

As early as 7am, devotees visited the temple to offer prayers and recite sutras (sacred scriptures) for blessings.

At 9am, the Jing Ying Dragon and Lion Dance Association troupe performed the lion dance, a symbolic ritual to usher in good luck for the Year of the Horse and ward off negative energies.

The society also handed out red packets and mandarin oranges — traditional gifts during Chinese New Year — to devotees visiting the temple.

Mandarin oranges are considered symbols of wealth, luck and prosperity, as the word for “orange” in Mandarin sounds similar to the word for “success”.

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most important 15-day lunar festival for Chinese communities worldwide, marking the new year and the arrival of spring.

This year, it falls on February 17, initiating the Year of the Horse. Celebrations focus on family reunions, red decorations, and fireworks to welcome prosperity.