Melaka Events and Festivals
The list of festivals and religious observances in Melaka is an excellent indicator of Melaka’s diversity. Every month there is at least one ethnic pocket celebrating a festival. Parades and fanfare accompany national holidays.
January
Chinese New Year: families and friends celebrate the New Year by exchanging angpows, red gift packets that usually contain some cash. New Year’s parties are normally big family affairs and usually involve traditional lion dancing (to fend off evil spirits) and lots of eating.
Teenh Koong’s Birthday: the Jade Emperor’s birthday is celebrated the evening before the ninth day of the new lunar year. Families aligned with the Chinese Fukien clan erect a shrine to the deity on the front doorsteps to secure the god’s blessing for the coming year.
Chap Go Mei: held two weeks after New Year celebrations, Chap Go Mei brings this festive period to a close. Eligible Chinese bachelorettes toss oranges into the ocean and wish for romance.
February
Thaipusam: Hindu devotees honour Lord Muruga with a sombre parade that ends at Sri Subramaniam Deasthanan Temple in Batu Berendam. Here followers ceremoniously tout wooden arches and undergo ritualistic piercing to cleanse themselves of sin. These rituals can become quite intense, and those who participate go into a trance that helps them cope with the experience.
March
Melaka Tourism Week: the second week in March is set aside for shameless publicity stunts on behalf of the city’s major hotels. Gourmet cuisine and a few competitive events headline the festivities.
Palm Sunday: along with Good Friday and Easter processions, Palm Sunday is celebrated at St Peter’s Church. Participants carrying palm fronds follow a life-sized statue of Jesus which is paraded along the city’s streets during the early hours.
Maundy Thursday: the Easter processional continues at St Peter’s Church with an evening Mass. At Mass, a priest symbolically washes the feet of 12 boys with wine in memory of Jesus washing the 12 disciples’ feet.
Good Friday: more sombre than Palm Sunday, the Good Friday candlelight vigil is held within the grounds of St Peter’s. Enormous candles are lit and a statue of Jesus is carried around church grounds as devotees bearing candles sing hymns and recite the rosary.
April
Easter Sunday: the Easter Sunday procession is held outside of St Peter’s Church. Mass is held and hymns are sung by a chorus that draws Catholics from the surrounding countryside.
Ching Ming: also known as All Souls’ Day, on this day the Chinese community head to the cemetery at Bukit China or to other burial grounds. Here they tidy up burial plots, light candles, burn incense and make offerings of food to the deceased.
Nuzul Quran: held during the Muslim fast of Ramadan, Nazul Quran commemorates the revelation of the Quran to Mohammad during his time in Mecca. On this day, devotees gather together to pray in mosques.
Gendang Nusantara Festival: held in mid-April and spanning just one day, this festival features traditional Malay dancing and a complex ensemble of 500 percussionists.
Hari Raya Puasa: held at the end of April, this Muslim festival marks the end of the Ramadan fast and includes prayers at the mosque followed by large family visitations.
May
Vesak Day: the Buddhist holiday commemorates the tri-fold birth, enlightenment and death of the Lord Buddha—all three of which are said to have occurred on the same calendar day.
Anniversary of Sant Sohan Singh’s Prayer: during the last week in May, the resident Sikh community head for the Sikh temple on Jalan Temenggong where a memorial service is held in honour of Sant Baba Sohan Singh, an important Sikh teacher. This three-day festival includes free meals on temple grounds, recitation of scripture and the singing of holy hymns.
June
Yang di Pertuan Agong’s Birthday: the city comes alive with parades and celebrations to mark the birthday of Malaysia’s king, who was born on 6 June. The events on this national holiday kick off at Warrior’s Field in the morning.
Feast of St John the Baptist: Melaka’s Catholic community celebrate on 23 June by lighting candles and sharing large meals.
Festa de San Pedro: St Peter (the patron saint of fisherman) gets top billing in Melaka on the 29 June. The local Portuguese community come together to decorate their boats and attend a special Mass in which their boats are blessed. This long-standing tradition includes competitions for the best boat décor, a cook-off focusing on traditional Portuguese cuisine and a fishing contest.
July
Hari Raya Aidil Fitri: this Islamic holiday picks up in mid-July and remembers the Prophet Mohammad’s passage from Mecca to Medina. This is a largely intellectual occasion marked by open discussions and lectures held in mosques.
Awal Muharram: following the end of the Ramadan fasting period, Muslims welcome the New Year with open displays of hospitality and traditional prayers.
August
Malacca Carnival: this celebration lasts for a month and showcases traditional dances and a variety of expositions covering local tourism, industry and art.
Theemithi: this deeply spiritual festival is held at the Sri Subramaniam Temple, which is located on Jalan Gajah Berang. Participants enter a trance-like state and proceed to walk, unscathed, over a glowing bed of hot coals.
Birthday of the Governor of Melaka: a state holiday, His Excellency’s birthday is celebrated in mid-August with a parade at Warrior’s Field.
National Day: citizens of Malaysia celebrate their country’s independence. The Melaka Sea Carnival is held on the same day at Klebang Besar Beach. Festivities here are centred on boating and windsurfing competitions.
September
Malaysia Fest: two weeks in September are dedicated to shameless self-promotion on behalf of shopping centres and hotels across Melaka. Exhibits highlight local handicrafts and cuisine.
Feast of Santa Cruz: on this important Catholic observance, thousands of Christians head for Malim, where the Feast of the Holy Cross commences at 07:00, followed by a walk through the Stations of the Cross. Proceedings end with a well-attended Mass.
October
Moon Cake Festival: Melaka’s Chinese quarter celebrates China’s victory over Mongolia in antiquity. In this period of history, Chinese rebels relayed secret messages hidden in round moon cakes.
November
Deepavali: Melaka’s Hindu quarter celebrates the Festival of Lights in honour of the perpetual triumph over good over evil.
December
Feast of St Francis Xavier: the Church of St Paul honours St Francis Xavier with a Mass held on the Sunday closest to 3 December.
Christmas: the streets of Melaka are subdued with Christmas carols and ample yuletide celebrations during the Christmas season. Local churches hold midnight services on Christmas Eve.
