GEORGE TOWN: Penang will see a relatively moderate year ahead, with peace anticipated in its social landscape.
This was the prediction of the Cheng Chooi Chor Soo Kong deity during the annual Chneah Hoay, or flame-watching ceremony, at the 175-year-old Hock Hin Keong (Ban Ka Lan Snake Temple) in Bayan Lepas.
Cheng Hoe Seah Association chairman Teoh Hock Guan said it would be a “moderate” start to the year, with the first four months being steady.
“The next four months will be good while the last quarter of the year will be ‘flat’,” he said.
Explaining further, Teoh said all three flames were lit at the symbolic ceremony.
“The first was normal, representing a moderate beginning, while the second was bright, indicating a good period. The third one was even, signifying a flat end.“Overall, it will be an average and peaceful year,” he said after the ceremony on Sunday.
The association has long played a key role in overseeing traditional Taoist rituals in Penang, including those at the renowned Snake Temple.
The ritual began around 11.30pm at the temple’s main hall, where committee members and elders placed joss sticks in a large incense urn on the altar, igniting the sacred flame three times at 11.45pm, 11.47pm and 11.52pm.
Each flame symbolises a prediction for a four-month period of the year.
The annual tradition interprets the deity’s divination through the stability, brightness and strength of the flames, offering insight into the coming year’s cycles.
Lion and dragon dances were performed while drum beats and firecrackers echoed through the night before the fire-watching ceremony.
The highlight of this year’s celebration was a series of snake dance performances, a unique variation of the famous Chinese dragon dance, where a snake puppet gracefully weaved through the crowd, captivating onlookers.There were also food stalls, art stalls, and craft stalls, as well as an exhibition on Chinese temples and organisations.
The celebration culminated in a dazzling display of fireworks at midnight.
