Starchild: Why Malaysian kids look forward to different months of the year

Tristen Yeoh, 8

Have you ever thought about what your favourite time of the year is?

For many of us, December is an exciting month because it brings us Christmas. Christmas is a time for giving (and receiving) and spending time with our loved ones. We decorate our homes, exchange gifts with friends and family, and enjoy delicious treats like candy canes and gingerbread cookies.

Another special time of the year is during Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, celebrated by our Muslim friends.

During this time, families come together to celebrate the end of Ramadan, a month of fasting. They dress up in beautiful clothes, visit relatives, and share delicious traditional food like ketupat, rendang and peanut sauce. It’s a time of gratitude, forgiveness, and togetherness.

Let’s not forget about special days like our birthdays! Your birthday is a day to feel extra special, surrounded by friends and family who shower you with love and presents. It’s a day to celebrate another year of wonderful memories and look forward to exciting adventures ahead.

Easter is another delightful day filled with fun activities like Easter egg hunts and decorating eggs with bright colours and patterns. It’s a time to celebrate new beginnings and the arrival of spring.

And who can forget Halloween? This spooky day is all about dressing up in costumes, carving pumpkins, and going trick-or-treating for delicious candies. It’s a day to let our imaginations run wild and embrace the magic of make-believe.

So, whether it’s December with Christmas cheer, Deepavali with colourful lights or your birthday, each month holds something special for us to cherish and enjoy!

Recently Starchild asked readers to send in letters on the topic, My Favourite Month. Here’s what they had to say.

Feivul Lee, 11

Feivul Lee, 11, says his favourite month is April because of April Fools Day. “It will be about pranking my friends with food and presents. April is also my birthday month. I can’t wait to celebrate my birthday with my friends and family. Not only that, I will have many presents on my birthday too. At the end of April, my father would plan a fishing trip for him and me. We usually fish beneath a bridge. Isn’t April a month of wonder? I have always loved April because it brings me happiness.”

Eight-year-old Tristen Yeoh’s favourite month is February. “It is because Chinese New Year falls in February this year. I like it because I can wear new clothes and a new pair of shoes. Not only that, I can visit my relatives. There are more than three weeks of school holidays in this month. I can relax!”

“My favourite month of the year is October. That is because I get to trick or treat. I can get treats or play tricks. Not only that, I can also dress up as the character Saitama from the Japanese superhero manga series One-Punch Man, Roblox character Headless Horseman and many more,” says Chuah Seng Koon, nine.

Chuah Seng Koon (9

“My favourite month is the month of June because it’s my birthday month. On my birthday, my mother and I always bake a cake together. We also make fruit jelly, buns and bread. I feel so happy on this wonderful day and I look forward to celebrating it every year with exciting surprises, writes Sham Jing Yu, 12.

Chng Yan Bei, 9

Nine-year-old Chng Yan Bei’s favourite month is December because of the school break. “December usually means three weeks of holidays. No homework and no school. Christmas also falls in December – I like Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. In the shopping malls, we’ll be greeted by Santa Claus exclaiming, “Ho! Ho! Ho!”

ITEM: Do you think Malaysians are friendly and helpful? How many caring individuals do you know in your neighbourhood? Share some ideas on how children can contribute to fostering a caring society. Do include illustrations in your essays. So, our topic for this week is A Caring Society.

E-mail your contributions to [e-mail] by March 1. Please put “STARCHILD: A Caring Society” in the subject line of your email.

Scanned drawings should be in jpeg format, with a resolution of 200 dpi. Your contributions must carry your full name, age (open to children aged 12 and below only), gender, phone contact, and address. Instead of handwritten letters, please type out your letters.