The Chinese New Year Celebration last over 15 days. The Hokkien Chinese community celebrated their escape from extermination in ancient China and subservience to the Jade Emperor, by seeking refuge in a sugar plantation and emerged unharmed at midnight on the 8th day of the New Year. The celebration centred on the jetty where the Chew clan live and worked from (traditionally as stevedores). This is the most active (commercialised) of the 5 clan jetties - others appear wealthier though. Vast amounts of food are stacked on tables by the roadside, not for public consumption, but as offerings to the gods. The food is later taken back to homes and coins are tossed to ensure that the gods have had their fill, before the family feast. At each communal shrine bonfires are made with mock money folded into elaborate patterns, paper clothes and other household items, which are later burnt at 0200 hours according to Susan and Elizabeth. The culmination of the evening was an enormous firework and fire cracker display and eventually the burning of a 12-foot high paper replica of the Jade Emperor's palace (costing the same as our new 9.8hp outboard motor!). It is believed that this occured sometime after 0330hours by which time we were all in bed.
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