It has always been the annual practice of the true-blue Sibuians to travel from near or far to get home to Sibu for Chinese New Year every year. In fact, right after this one, there would be people booking their air tickets for next year already just to make sure that they do not miss out on the joyous and auspicious occasion. In fact, air fare is often the most expensive from KL or anywhere else to Sibu…and I’ve heard of people flying to Kuching or Bintulu and taking a bus from there home as it would be cheaper that way.
Now what is the attraction here that they can never find anywhere else?
Weeks before the day, there would be sporadic outbursts of fireworks and firecrackers that would gradually get more intense as the day approaches. On the eve of Chinese New Year, families and friends would gather for the reunion dinner…and they would ignite a string of the explosives before the dinner and sometimes, after as well. This would go on all afternoon and evening and into the night, when one would get to see fireworks of all colours and designs…
…lighting up the skies here…
…there…
…and everywhere…
The climax would be when the clock strikes twelve…
There would be a barrage of sound and smoke as everyone lights their strings of firecrackers…
…and set off their fireworks of an array of designs and colours into the smoke-filled sky. By around half an hour or so, it would all be over and everybody would go to sleep to rest for the big day the morning after.
This would be the typical sight outside every Chinese home in town the next day…
…except mine!
Now, if anybody’s keen on coming to Sibu for Chinese New Year next year, it will fall on the 10th of February, 2013. Book your air tickets early to grab the bargain fares and to avoid disappointment!
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
wow..that’s nice! I hadn’t witnessed any firecrakers here.
Wah!!! Ipoh people so kwai one kah? Business also huat…no need for firecrackers.
oh 10th February next year? OK, will KIV the date and spend CNY in Sibu… hehehehe…
Good, good… I wait ah!!! My daughter will be home next year, I’m sure. Wink! Wink! LOL!!! 😉
They kept you awake so might as well go outside and enjoy the sparks? hehe
+Ant+
I slept early….then the noise woke me up at around midnight – I hear they started at around 11.30, so I missed the first half…
errr, i think not just Sibuians, it’s the tradition that everyone who are working out of their hometown are trying to make ways back to their HOME during chinese new year to celebrate the festive with their families.. fireworks and firecrackers?? awwww, they are everywhere around the country i guess.. haha!!
Not as much as here – it’s like a war zone, one trying to outdo the other… It’s becoming quite an attraction but I’m not for it. Give me peace and quiet anytime…
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR STP!!!
I didn’t go back to Sibu this year so managed to get decent uninterupted sleep LOL!
http://marg.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/fireworks/
Thanks, and all the best in the Dragon Year to you. So lucky… Can’t wait for it to be all over…and an end to those bits of fireworks and firecrackers raining on my roof and all over my house compound. Darn neighbours! 😦
This is a familiar scene when I was a little girl. The streets will be all red on the 2nd day of CNY. After firecrackers were ban, CNY is not so CNY anymore 😦 You mean Sibu has been like this forever?
Getting worse each year…despite all the complaints about the ailing economy and the rising prices. They say this year they can just go to any shop and buy openly unlike before – had to go under the counter. Come, come for CNY next year…It will be an experience to remember.
This is the sight n sound I look forward to every Chinese new year eve when I was a kid. Now, things r mediocre n a peaceful reunion w family n a drink or two is my CNY liao lor…
Get Annie to come back next year…and you tag along! You will get enough bangs to last a lifetime… It goes on and on and on like it is never going to end.
firecrackers! remind me I still have an 8foot long red firecracker leftover from my wedding 🙂 .. and that photo of the red papers outside the house, the owner must have burnt more than a week’s pay in firecrackers 😛
Hah!!! Contraband! I dunno how much they cost but I do know that they’re very expensive and people spend a few Ks just on fireworks and firecrackers alone every CNY. I would rather spend on food…and let everyone enjoy to the fullest.
My house also clean. Hehehe! Slept through the wars again this year :p
Good girl… You’re like me but I woke up halfway, went out and took some snaps and went online to post the photos… LOL!!! 😀
so noisy…not worth burning “money”. Later kena saman.
Here, lawless…cowboy country! Do what you like, no saman one… I saw TWO police cars outside a house parked among the PILES of red firecrackers paper – visiting…and probably “drinking coffee”. No problem one… 😦
Nice nice fireworks!! I miss having firecrackers on the first day of CNY back when I was young. Now it’s so much harder to find them plus it’s illegal. 😦 Happy Chinese New Year to you and your family STP! I’m sure this would be a brilliant year to you as a fellow dragon 😉
Thanks, and the same to you. Hopefully it will be a great year for all of us. Come to Sibu next CNY and you can get to enjoy all of those. 😉
Have to let go our firecrackers earlier this year cos it starts drizzling before the clocks strikes 12…and it is going crazy in our neighbourhood. Ping ping pong pong everywhere. Every year I would stay up to watch.
Ya…I heard it’s been raining quite a lot in Kuching. OK here…but these few nights since Day 1, it has been raining…heavily. The water dragon is here! 😉
not seen huge red papers outside many houses these days during cny. i hear a lot of plik plak plaks which turned out to battery operated ones.
Gosh! That must be really pathetic…but I would love that a lot more! Not so noisy and none of the the mess and the poisonous fumes.
I love all the fireworks and crackers.While we were still living in Msia, we’ll go hunting for it, masuk kedai and pay and then go to the car to wait.The shopkeeper will get someone to hantar to the car whatever you buy.But then yang tak best, baru pasang 1 miserable one,the police dah datang minta coffee money.Potong stim,man.How come Sibu can pasang the fireworks macam tu war zone?No police one,meh in Sibu?
PS:Nice pics by the way.
Thanks. Sibu, you know, I know lah… In a way, I think they’ve given up. Once they said, for 3 days only…allowed. Other times, they would go and pull your strings of firecrackers…but I don’t think they ever really took action against the stubborn ones. Today, it’s like free for all – if you are so silly as to burn your own money, go ahead. Dunno if there is any coffee money involved or not…
Living in NZ, all of us look forward to Guy Fawkes Day.One day free for all to burn as much money as you like…best!!!
I wonder how many actually know who Guy Fawkes was. Thought the fireworks displayed all government-sponsored?
No lar..it’s the only day that fireworks are allowed and can be sold.You’ll be surprised to know that almost all kiwi would know who is Guy Fawkes and the significance of the day.Also, no firework display by goverment etc..it’s just an individual thingy.
Individual? It was a big thing in Wellington… Melissa went to watch – all those flares shot were by individuals…like they play from their own houses here during Chinese New Year? They’ve very big impressive ones there too…
@ my hometown we had lots of ppl playing the red fire cracker
I brought back 2 stack of firecracker and shall use it for on the 9th n 15th @ pj..
Hope i don’t end up at the lokap…
Good luck! No worries… I hear they give free curry rice. LOL!!! 😀
Yes Yes, i told my boys, next year we will spent our chinese new year in Sibu!!! I want them to experience what i experienced when i was young!!! My boys were in Sibu for Chinese New Year when they are just 2 yo, that time they still didn’t know how to enjoy, they slept through the night and didn’t wake up by the loud bang!
This morning just talked to my good friend from Sarawak, she told me, next year she wants to go back Miri, i told her..me too! We have to start checking on the flight tickets now, to be the kiasu one!. hahahahhahahhaha
Now my boys can say, 2013 we will be at “mah mah” house for chinese new year! Yeah
Ahhhhh!!! Good! Good! Then I’ll have good company, come CNY 2013. 🙂