Tuesday, 24 December 2013

Celebrate a balmy Christmas in Malaysia

Celebrate a balmy Christmas in Malaysia



The celebration of Christmas in multi-faith Malaysia is quite unique for the festivities associated with the holiday are essentially commercial in nature without overt religious overtones. Christmas day is designated as a public holiday throughout the country and this allows all citizens to join in the revelries traditionally associated with the festival.

Essential features of the Christmas Holiday in Malaysia

Shopping frenzy at the malls

Malls and shopping centers all over Malaysia are usually dressed up for Christmas with glittering lights, sparkling Christmas trees and jolly ‘Santa Clauses’ who beckon shoppers to shop up a storm and hand out gifts and trinkets to visitors of all ages.

As Christmas usually falls in the midst of Malaysia’s popular 1 Malaysia Year End Shopping extravaganza, there are countless discounts, promotions and freebies to be had at the country’s many shopping locales, where the non-stop playing of Christmas carols and songs only add to the festive atmosphere.

Sumptuous banquets and meals

Most restaurants and hotels in Malaysia have special meal offers and banquets planned for Christmas Eve as well as Christmas Day. These elaborate meal sets and buffets, usually feature all the traditional eats associated with Christmas like roast turkey, mince pies, Christmas puddings and much more. So if you plan to be in Malaysia over the Christmas holiday and would like to partake of a Christmassy meal, you are likely to be spoilt for choice.

Christmas Parades

Malaysia is known to be home to a harmonious multi-ethnic, multi-cultural population as a result, Christmas celebrations are not an exclusive affair for the country’s Christian community. In fact, in Malaysian cities like Miri and Kuching on the island of Borneo, the lively annual Christmas parades organized by the local churches are popular affairs that routinely draw huge crowds.

Winter Wonderland

Malaysia as a tropical country doesn’t receive any snowfall but in keeping with the winter theme of Christmas, various malls and shopping centers erect winter wonderlands, which are equipped with snow and ice and offer visitors the chance to skate on ice, an immensely popular wintertime activity.  Sunway Pyramid in the Klang Valley, The Mines, the Curve in Petaling Jaya, and the Snowland at the Megamall in Penang are all equipped with facilities for ice-skating, quite a novelty in tropical Malaysia.

 

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