Thaipusam

Thaipusam (Tamil: தைப்பூசம்) (or Thai Poosam Kavady) is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (Jan/Feb). Pusam refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival. Ok how do I know all this? Obviously I quoted it from somewhere. LOL. From my all time favourite free encyclopedia Wikipedia!

Since it was Thaipusam today and its a public holiday for certain part of Malaysia, I was thinking to dedicate this post to one of my childhood memories on this particular festival. Penang is one of the state that had the privileges of getting a non-self declared public holiday and also since it is a HUGE celebration for most Penangnites. Being half a Penangnite, (my dad is born and raised from Penang and I spent almost 7 years of my childhood life there) I manage to join this HUGE interesting celebration. On the eve of Thaipusam, my family will go to one of the streets where they lay and stack rows of coconuts. At a certain time, they would start throwing and and smashing the coconuts on the floor. I was small and little so my parents would usually drag me to the side afraid I would get smashed together with all the coconuts and mind you it does look dangerous. Usually I get to keep at least 1 or 2 coconut myself to smash after everyone but ALWAYS it doesn't break and is still a whole coconut even after like 10 million times I've thrown it with all my might! So yes I'm weak but hey I was only 7-9? So can't blame me.

I don't have pictures of me but I manage to get pictures off the internet. This is what it looks like after they start cracking those hard shells.



Interesting right? Look violent too. LOL. For a better understanding I manage to get this video off Youtube to show you how it is really done. Not the best quality but the only one I manage to find. Here goes...



Also, you do realise in the video it was taken in Penang because you can hear people speaking in native Penang Hokkien. Also the big truck that comes immediately right after the coconuts were thrown. On the day itself there is a celebration where they have a so called parade where they all hike up a hill. In Kuala Lumpur they hike up Batu Caves but in Penang I think if I'm not mistaken to the Botanical Gardens aka Monkey Garden. Hehe. They have body piercing which seriously looks pain! They call it the Kavadi. Pictures will give you a better idea =)




Hope you enjoy this post...until my next post...todleloos!