There is no historical record of how the word “Chingay” originated. But records show that as early as the 19 th century, Chingay appeared in South East Asia, beginning in Penang . Many did not remember that Chingay was introduced as a substitute for a different kind of noise: firecrackers. In 1972, the government banned firecrackers after a fatal explosion in the Lunar New Year period killed two people. The ban, although necessary, disappointed many who felt that it dampened the ... (more)