• 1 Chu Hua Yuan
    The name of this tradition means “coming out of the garden.”  It is celebrated by Teochew Chinese people in China and other parts of Asia, like Malaysia and Singapore.  Young men and women take part in this tradition when they are 15 years old.  Before this age, young Teochew people are considered to be “flower children” playing safely in a garden.  At 15 years old, they are said to leave the garden and become adults.
    The ceremony begins with a wash in a flower bath to clean away childishness and bad luck.  Then, the young men and women dress in red T-shirts and red clogs, which symbolize the beginning of their lives as adults.  They sit down to a meal with family and friends, which includes dishes such as tofu with leeks and pig's organ soup.  This food is said to help change the participants into better people.  At the end of the meal, the young people are seated at the head of the table. They bite into a steamed chicken head, making them into good leaders.  Finally, the new adults serve their parents tea to thank them for raising them.  They are now included in family decisions and discussions.