WHILE most people feel that weddings should not be held during the Qing Ming Festival month, a feng shui master thinks otherwise.
Lee Cheng Hoe said that in addition to each year being linked to the 12 Chinese zodiac animals, each month is also associated with a specific zodiac sign.
“This April is associated with the dragon.
“So, despite the perception that this month might be unfavourable for weddings, it might not be the case as it is the month of the dragon in the Year of the Dragon,” he elaborated.
According to Lee, other auspicious zodiac signs considered favourable for romance this year are the Horse, Rat, Rabbit and Rooster.
He said that when these four were arranged in chronological order in a circle made up of the 12 zodiac animals, they were positioned facing each other.
He explained that favourable dates for weddings were determined using the Tong Sheng, a traditional almanac that is based on the Chinese lunar calendar and used to pick lucky and unlucky days for important life events.
Feng shui master Mak Foo Wengg said the low number of registered marriages during each Qing Ming month was due to the Hokkien term for the fourth month (“si”) which rhymes with the word death (also “si” but spoken with a different intonation).
“This fourth month is deemed unsuitable for weddings due to the negative connotation of the number “4” as it sounds like “death”.
“Even in modern times, people carefully consider wedding dates according to the Chinese almanac, in a tradition passed down through generations.
“While it may seem peculiar, the credibility of selecting a day based on the almanac remains high, as it considers factors such as the couple’s astrological charts, alignment of celestial bodies, as well as auspicious and inauspicious influences,” he explained.
Mak said gold jewellery remained a staple for good luck.
“In Chinese weddings, the ‘three golds’ gifted by the groom’s family to the bride, including a gold necklace, gold ring and gold earrings, are part of the betrothal gifts.
“When selecting wedding gold jewellery, symbolism takes precedence.
“Traditional motifs such as the golden dragon and phoenix union symbolise blessings, while modern designs offer wider choices.
“It’s advisable to choose pieces that convey positive meanings and can form a cohesive set, comprising a necklace, ring and earrings to enhance overall elegance and a sense of unity,” Mak advised.
A check with associations providing marriage registration services also showed a decline in registrations this month.
Che Hoon Khor Moral Uplifting Society secretary Choong Yit Chuan said that only 16 couples had registered their marriage this month, a stark contrast to the usual monthly average of around 100 couples.
“We typically organise marriage registration services every weekend, accommodating about 15 couples each day.
“However, this month, we are only conducting registrations on April 13 and 20 due to low demand,” he said.
Similarly, the Penang Chinese Town Hall reported a notable decrease in marriage registrations this month, with only eight couples registering to wed compared to the usual dozens of couples marrying in other months.
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