Category: Malaysia
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Rational Harmony Day
Rational Harmony Day By Sharon Schweitzer Singapore’s identity as a cosmopolitan nation has evolved. The first of two racial riots in six weeks occurred in Singapore on July 21st, 1964, resulting in 36 deaths and over 500 injuries. Many racist events that have recently gone viral have elicited strong emotions and soul-searching about…
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National Fortune Cookie Day
National Fortune Cookie Day By Sharon Schweitzer While these nuggets of enjoyment are most often found at the end of a Chinese meal, they didn’t originate in China. The distinctively folded cookie began in Japan, where elegant desserts and folding techniques are quintessentially Japanese. However, in Japan, the fortune was tucked in the fold…
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Marine Day in Japan
Marine Day in Japan By Sharon Schweitzer Since 2003, Marine Day in Japan has been observed on the third Monday of July. Marine Day is a Japanese national holiday that aims to thank the ocean for its bounty. Considering that Japan is a maritime nation, the country and its people are heavily dependent…
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South Asian Heritage Month
South Asian Heritage Month By Sharon Schweitzer South Asian Heritage Month is held annually from July 18th to August 17th to honor, recognize, and appreciate South Asian history and culture, as well as to comprehend the rich cultural legacy of countries and South Asia. It is also to better comprehend the various heritage of…
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National Koi Day
National Koi Day By Sharon Schweitzer National Koi Day celebrates the Japanese Koi fish and brings attention to the exotic beauty of the fish. As a symbol of courage, patience, perseverance, and strength, the Koi fish has been celebrated in the Japanese culture for centuries. The word “koi” comes from nishiki-goi, which means colored…
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International Sushi Day
International Sushi Day By Sharon Schweitzer To find the origins of sushi we must look at a dish called narezushi. Narezushi is salted fish stored in fermented rice for months at a time. Southeast Asia and Japan both had their own version of the dish, the rice was discarded and the fish was…
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Cheng Ming Festival
Cheng Ming Festival By Sharon Schweitzer The Ching Ming Festival, also known as Qingming (清明节), is a Chinese custom celebrated worldwide by people of many Asian cultures. Sometimes called Tomb Sweeping Day or the Pure Brightness Festival (pure brightness is the English translation of Qingming), it’s an annual event to remember and honor ancestors…
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International Tea Day
International Tea Day By Sharon Schweitzer Tea is a beverage made from the Camellia sinesis plant. Tea is the world’s most consumed drink, after water. It is believed that tea originated in northeast India, north Myanmar and southwest China, but the exact place where the plant first grew is not known. There is evidence that…
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Yi Peng Lantern Festival
Yi Peng Lantern Festival By Sharon Schweitzer Yi Peng Festival is a Thai celebration held on the evening of the twelfth month’s full moon in the traditional lunar calendar. It is an ancient celebration that was adapted from Brahmin origins and is inextricably linked with Thai Lanna culture. The Lanna culture dates back to the…
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Celebrating National Rice Month
Celebrating National Rice Month By Sharon Schweitzer The history of National Rice Month which is celebrated in September, started in 1991, when President George H.W. Bush designated the month as such. The president and the United States Rice Federation came to an agreement to celebrate and recognize the usage of the grain in our daily…