5Y1M 3Y4M 福建チャイニーズニューイヤー Hokkien Chinese New Year

今年はいろいろな場所でライオンダンスを見るし、なかなかチャイニーズニューイヤー熱が冷めないなあと思っていたら、日曜日の真夜中（月曜日の午前0時）にまたまた花火が始まった。

33階からだと、ジョージタウンが一望できるが、あっちでもこっちでも上がっている。対岸のバタワースも見渡す限り切れ間なく花火。やけに近くで爆発音がするなあと思ったら隣のフラットの住人がバルコニーから花火～！

チャイニーズニューイヤー9日目は「福建」チャイニーズニューイヤーなんだそうだ。ペナンの中華系は大半が福建人なので、盛大に花火があがるというわけ。

昔、漢人（広東人との説有）との戦いで追われて全滅の危機にあった福建人が、サトウキビ畑に隠れて難を逃れ、敵軍が撤退して助かった日がチャイニーズニューイヤーの9日目だった。その為、福建人にとってはこの日が元旦で、サトウキビを飾り陰暦1月9日が誕生日のジェイドエンペラー（天宮）に祈願するようになったとのこと。

We've seen so many lion dances this year and we are still quite in CNY mood. To our surprise, we had loads of fireworks again on Sunday night, at the midnight of Monday.

From our 33rd floor flat, we can see the most of George town and we saw fireworks all over the places. On the coast line of Butterworth, fireworks were lining up without any gaps! We were quite shocked to learn that our next door neighbours were setting off fireworks from their balcony! We wondered what was happening.

On the 9th day of Chinese New Year is the Hokkien New Year. No wonder so many fireworks in Penang, as most of the Chinese here are Hokkien.

Long time ago, Hokkiens were losing their battle against Han (or Cantonese) and they were in danger of being wiped out. Few survivors were hiding in a sugarcane field. When their enemies gave up and gone, they came out. It was on the 9th day of CNY. That's the reason Hokkien Chinese celebrate on the 9th day of CNY with sugarcane, and giving prayers to the Jade emperor as the 9th day is the birthday of Jade Emperor.