The Malay Culture Part Satu

Instead of a lengthy essay,let me just present you an essential guide to understanding the Malay culture.........

Part 1:Clothing

Yes,we've all seen them being sold at the Geylang area. And with the Hari Raya season dawning upon us in 2 months time,you'll see them even more... But do we know their proper names?Heck,do we even know how to pronounce it properly?? Let's get down to business..

Baju Kurung
(bah-ju ku-rong)

Loose-fitting full dress
Comes with a skirt and blouse
Extends till between hips and knees,Collarless
Made of silk imported from Japan,South Korea,Turkey(globalisation!) or as the traditionalists prefer,Kelantan,Malaysia
Popularised in the late 19th century
Complete with a ....

Tudung
(tu-dohng)

Also noticeable is the fact that most baju kurung have a flowery and geometric pattern to them (like the above)


Baju Melayu
(bah-ju meh-la-yu)

For MEN
Consists of the baju (top) and the trousers
The collar is a raised stiff one i.e almost non-existent
Made of cotton,silk,polyester
Fastened by kancing (nice little dress studs)
Complete with

Songkok
(sohng-coke)
And

Kain Samping
(kai-yain-some-peng)
(Minus the pink ribbons)

Well that's it for now.
Now,you know what to get,the next time you go shopping at Geylang.
And I guess primary school kids taking Social Studies can use this for their tests.
Stay tuned for
Part 2:Food

ilovemyculture

Racial Harmony Day Special

21.7.10

Today, Temasek Junior College celebrated Racial Harmony Day.A myriad of coloured-traditional costumes greeted my sight as I entered the school...

Kebayas,Baju Kurungs,Cheongsams,Saris,"WE EVEN HAD PEOPLE DRESSED UP IN KOPITIAM OUTFITS :D"

Name it and we had it..

"So there are still people who care..."

Needless to say,it was heartening to know that students from various beliefs and culture didn't mind dressing up in a foreign costume.It further cements the fact that even in today's modernizing world,Singaporeans still live out our pledge.That,even with increased racial and religious tensions around the world,we Singaporeans remain rooted to the aspirations of our forefathers.

Will the aspiration live out in the coming future?Who knows..
The sad reality is that not every Singaporean is living out their rich heritage....
But still,knowing that somewhere out there,
there are still people who care,
who aren't ashamed of their culture,
who will carry the torch for future generations...

gives me hope.

"..as one united people,regardless of race,language or religion"

ilovemyculture

EURASIAN CULTURE

Who are Eurasians? They are someone who has European and Asian blood. How does this happen? Though Europe and Asia are continents far away from each other but still some Europeans come to Asia and these Europeans are traders. They travelled by sea in search of a better route to the new markets and exotic goods in Asia that cannot be found in Europe.

Traditional Eurasian Costumes:

The Eurasian men wear shirt that are normally made from wool or linen, hemp or silk. The shirt has a low neckline, full sleeves with no cuffs and sloped gently out from the shoulders. Trousers became common during the Regency era. The trousers had a high waist that came up at least to the navel. They were drop front and were held up by means of suspenders. They were worn much looser than pantaloons though they were often fitted down at the ankles, or onto the shoes. Trousers could be made of wool, linen or cotton.

The dress is a piece of clothing worn by women and girls which covers her body and extends down over her legs. Skirts tracing back from the 1850’s into the 1860’s could measure 12 to 15 feet in circumference. Toward the end of the War, the skirts took on a more elliptical shape, with more fullness falling toward the back. Fine dresses would have skirts embellished with ribbon, braid or ruching. Some had flounces sewn onto an underskirt, or were layered to form a flounce. Overskirts could be drawn up to reveal the underskirt or even a fancy peticoat. Skirts were often lined. The hem was usually several inches deep, often of a different fabric, probably scraps from previous sewing projects. The hem edge finish would often include horsehair braid which helped prevent wear and fraying.

Bermuda shorts and T-shirts are worn more often nowadays.

credits: http://eurasiancultureproject.blogspot.com/2007/06/eurasian-culture-project.html

CHINESE CULTURE

Chinese New Year:

Chinese New Year, Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional chinese holidays. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first month (正月) in the Chinese calendar and ends with lantern festival which is on the 15th day. Chinese New Year's Eve is known as chú xī. Ancient Chinese New Year is a reflection on how the people behaved and what they believed in the most. Ancient Chinese New Year is a reflection on how the people behaved
and what they believed in the most.

Animal		New Year dates
鼠 Rat		February 19, 1996	February 7, 2008
牛 Ox		February 7, 1997	January 26, 2009
虎 Ti		January 28, 1998	February 14, 2010
兔 Rabbit		February 16, 1999	February 3, 2011
龍 Dragon		February 5, 2000	January 23, 2012
蛇 Snake		January 24, 2001	February 10, 2013
馬 Horse		February 12, 2002	January 31, 2014
羊 Sheep		February 1, 2003	February 19, 2015
猴 Monkey		January 22, 2004	February 8, 2016
雞 Rooster		February 9, 2005	January 28, 2017
狗 Dog		January 29, 2006	February 16, 2018
豬 Pig		February 18, 2007	February 5, 2019

Colour Red:
Red is the emblem of joy, and this colour also symbolizes virtue, truth and sincerity. it is believed that red will scare away evil spirits and bad fortune.

Clothing:
Clothing mainly featuring the colour red is commonly worn throughout the Chinese New Year because it is believed that red will scare away evil spirits and bad fortune. In addition, people typically wear new clothes from head to toe to symbolize a new beginning in the new year. Wearing new clothes also symbolizes having more than enough things to use and wear in the new year.

Red Packets:
Red packets are passed out during the Chinese New Year's celebrations, from married couples or the elderly to unmarried juniors. It is also common for adults or young couples to give red packets to children. Red packets contains also known as 压岁钱 (Ya Sui Qian). the money is used to suppress or put down the evil spirit during this period.

Firecrackers:
Firecrackers are usually strung on a long fused string so it can be hung down. Each firecracker is rolled up in red papers, as red is auspicious, with gunpowder in its core. Once ignited, the firecracker lets out a loud popping noise and, as they are usually strung together by the hundreds, the firecrackers are known for their deafening explosions that are thought to scare away evil spirits. The burning of firecrackers also signifies a joyful time of year and has become an integral aspect of Chinese New Year celebrations. Lion and Dragon Dance: Dragon and lion dances are common during Chinese New Year. It is believed that the loud beats of the drum and the deafening sounds of the cymbals together with the face of the dragon or lion dancing aggressively can evict bad or evil spirits.


Filial Piety:

In Confucian ideals, filial piety (孝, xiào) is one of the virtues to be held above all else: a respect for the parents and ancestors. In somewhat general terms, filial piety means to be good to one's parents; to take care of one's parents; to engage in good conduct not just towards parents but also outside the home so as to bring a good name to one's parents and ancestors; to perform the duties of one's job well so as to obtain the material means to support parents as well as carry out sacrifices to the ancestors; not be rebellious; show love, respect and support;display courtesy; ensure male heirs, uphold fraternity among brothers; wisely advise one's parents, including dissuading them from moral unrighteousness; display sorrow for their sickness and death; and carry out sacrifices after their death.

Peranakan Culture.

This tablecloth with

intricate beadwork was probably used on a choon tok or ‘spring table’ in the wedding chamber.

Many auspicious meanings have been stitched onto the cloth. For example, the pattern of nine bunches of flowers clustered together represents ‘everlasting happiness’ as the Chinese character for ‘nine’ sou

nds like the character for ‘long’. The animals bat, deer, crane and qilin have also been stitched in pairs to symbolize happiness, wealth, longevity, and a bringer of sons respectively. The paired motifs are symbols of double blessings. The dragonfly, grasshopper and cicada are also featured as they symbolize fertility.

"Tok Panjang"

Tok Panjang is actually a Baba Malay word. "Tok" has e meaning of table while "Panjang" carries with it e meaning of table. These two words are put together to literally mean "long table". It is the style that Peranakans prefer to eat for special lunch or when they are at home. However, this does not imply that Peranakans do not eat on round tables. In fact, they do consume their meals on round tables. Tok Panjang is mainly for special occasions and it is of great importance to people of the older generation.The Peranakans do not have a fixed style of eating.

The way the eat, whether or not they eat with chopsticks, fingers or fork and spoons is subjected to their personal preference

Chiu Thau

This rite is considered the most important wedding rite in the 12-day Peranakan wedding celebration as it is a coming-of-age ceremony for the bride and groom. It takes place in the bride and groom's respective homes and both would be seated on a gantang (rice measure) placed within a nyiru (ceremonial bamboo tray). The covered base of the gantang represents the male and therefore, it would be placed upside down for the groom to sit on. On the other hand, the opening of the gantang represents the female and so she would sit on the gantang placed upright. The groom would sit facing inwards towards the house while the bride would sit facing outwards. The almanac, miniature scales, a metal ruler, a pair of scissors, a razor, a mirror, a comb and 12 feet of red silk thread represented important qualities of adult life and are also used in the ceremony. The thread would be tied to the hair of the wedding couple, while the rest would be run over the head, most probably to ensure that the couple remembers the rites. Lap Chai Ceremony In the past, when two families come together for a wedding, basically it is a union of the two families. Therefore gifts were essential, in the exchange, as one of the rites before the wedding. The groom's family is commonly perceived as the provider of the family. The bride is seen as coming into the groom's family. Thus she is usually given a set of jewellery by the groom's parents, it is a full set of jewellery that she would be able to use. The dowry for Peranakan marriages, is always put in a red packet. The difference between the Chinese and the Peranakan practice is that the dowry is relatively little, for Peranakan marriages. For Hokkien Peranakans, the dowry usually comes in multiples of 6. The reason for the rather small amount of money given for dowry is because many Peranakan families would say that they do not wish to be seen as selling their daughters. They value their daughters so they don't feel that they would like to accept a large amount of money in return for marrying their daughter off. The bride however, will take the jewellery, which will be given to her , personally. Hence it belongs to her.

Raw pork leg

It is a gift for the bride's family, from the groom's family. This is because a young girl, the bride, who is a maiden, goes into the groom's family. Since they are taking someone's daughter away from them and into their family, they must 'pay back', in a way. Thus they will present the bride's family with raw pork leg so as to repay them in blood, and the meat is symbolic, in the fact that it is a maiden hence, given to the family in respect of their daughter.

Phoenix candles are given to the bride's family frm the groom's family, which is exchanged for dragon candles presented to the groom's family, from the bride's family. Oranges are fertility symbols. They serve as blessings to the bride and groom, in hope that they will have many children.

Beverly Teo, Peranakan culture.

credits: http://littlenyonya.mediacorptv.sg/ Information from: Peranakan Museum & Mr Peter Wee

Even PM Lee is in view of the cause of our project!!!!:D

HELPING SINGAPOREANS STAY ROOTED

'If you are Singaporean, you are comfortable anywhere in the world. Then you say, 'Well, one day I'll go home, but maybe for Chinese New Year or Hari Raya and then I carry on with my life and my career somewhere far off'.

So one of the ways to overcome this is for Singaporeans to feel Singaporean. It's to keep this sense of heritage and history, to know how we got here, to know where we came from before our forefathers came to Singapore and know why we belong here.

That's why we try hard to give people a sense of heritage, of place, of how Singapore came to be like this.'

PM Lee to a student from Temasek Junior College who asked about creating a sense of belonging to Singapore.

P.S: Hazeeq was the TJC student who questioned PM Lee.

Website: http://www.pmo.gov.sg/News/Transcripts/Prime+Minister/Pursue+dreams+but+give+back+to+society+PM.ht

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