Chap Goh Meh (also known as the Lantern Festival) is a Chinese festival celebrated on the 15th day of the first month in the Chinese lunar calendar.

During the Lantern Festival, it is common to see colourful paper lanterns and competitions for solving traditional riddles in Buddhist temples. The air is festive and bright with lion dance, dragon dance, firecrackers and various other traditional performances.

Chap Goh Meh or Tzap Goh Mei represents the 15th and final day of the Lunar New Year period as celebrated by the Chinese communities. The term is from the Hokkien dialect and the day auspiciously coincides with the first full moon of the New Year.

The occasion is marked by feasting and various festivities, including the consumption of tangyuan (glutinous rice ball). In traditional Chinese culture, the Lantern Festival is also known as the Yuan Xiao Festival. In Southeast Asia, however, it coincides with the Chinese Valentine's Day. A day when young unmarried women gather to toss mandarin oranges into a river, in the hope that their future spouse will pick up their orange or 'choose them' – a custom that originated in Penang, Malaysia.

Pictures credits: chleong.net & Shiny Things / Flickr.com