Family affair: Sunita (middle) with her in-laws Angel Albert and Russel Patrick preparing the floral bath.
KOTA KINABALU: No dipping in the sea for New Year’s Eve? No problem.
Since the beaches in Tanjung Aru and Tanjung Lipat are off limits for now due to the rainy season, locals who swear by the age-old tradition of taking a plunge into the sea to ward off bad luck (buang sial) are finding other ways to usher in 2023.
Some of them have resorted to taking a mandi bunga (or flower bath) at home instead.
“Normally, if I am back in my village of Paitan, we would always jump into the river at the stroke of midnight.
“But now, since I am at my in-laws’ place, we decided to just do a flower bath,” said human resource executive Sunita Rahman, 28.
A mandi bunga typically involves seven types – depending on the person’s own belief – of flowers that are scattered into a bathtub, basin or pool. People then pour the water on themselves from head to toe.
If it is done in a pool, they would just leap into the flower-infused concoction.
So, instead of diving into the river like she usually does, Sunita said that this year she would take a flower bath with her loved ones in Penampang.
“I have never kept track of whether the river dipping really brought me good luck, but it certainly made me feel better in starting a new year. It felt like being ‘reborn’,” she added.
As for mother of four Sheilla Mijoh, she would also be doing the flower bath with her family.
“It’s just something I have been practising for quite some time now; not that it holds any particular meaning,” said Sheila, 64.
The act of performing a flower bath just makes her happy, she said.
“According to some of the things that I read, it could be a way to stay young (awet muda). And it could also be a way to not bring the year’s bad luck into the next year,” she added.
Incidentally, the nearby district of Penampang is home to the Babagon dam, which is also quite popular with families taking a dip in the river’s clear and cool water.
“But we will not bathe in the river this time as the weather is unpredictable. We are afraid of sudden floods. It is better to be safe than sorry,” said 48-year-old farmer Dolin Ubud.
She and her family would instead have a barbeque and indulge in karaoke singing to welcome the new year.
A check at the Tanjung Aru beach saw some City Hall enforcement officials patrolling the area.
It is learnt that they would be present there and at other public parks until 6am today.
This comes following a notice issued by City Hall regarding the suspension of camping, swimming and hawking activities at its four public parks as a safety measure.
The four areas are Taman Awam Tanjung Aru 1 DBKK, Taman Awam Teluk Likas, Taman Awam Teluk Likas 2 and Cycleway Fasa 3 (Sungai Darau).
City Hall said the suspension is with view of the strong winds and rough seas warning issued by the Meteorological Department until Jan 3.
However, activities such as visiting the park, cycling and jogging, as well as the operation of the Anjung Perdana stalls and Anjung Selera building, are still allowed.
In Sandakan, the Pantai Pasir Putih Sandakan recreational area has also been temporarily closed since Thursday.
