Major holiday with closures in Chinese-majority areas and packed transport. Lunar dates, late Jan–Feb.

🌙 First day of the Chinese lunar year: the second new moon after the winter solstice, always between 21 January and 20 February.
Next date: 6–7 Feb 2027

Dramatic Hindu festival at Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur. Lunar dates, usually late January–February.

🌙 Full moon of the Tamil month of Thai, on the day it meets the star Pusam; between mid-January and mid-February.

End of Ramadan: mass homecoming travel and closures. Moves ~11 days earlier each year (around Mar–Apr in the mid-2020s).

🌙 First day of Shawwal, when the crescent moon is sighted at the end of Ramadan. The Islamic calendar is purely lunar: it moves about 11 days earlier each year.

Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death, marked with temple processions. Lunar date, usually May.

🌙 Full moon of the month of Vesak, usually in May; in years with an extra lunar month it can move to late April or June.

Penang's month-long arts and culture festival across the UNESCO old town. Usually July–August.

Hindu festival of lights, vivid in the Little India districts. Lunar dates, usually October–November.

🌙 New-moon night (amavasya) of the Hindu month of Kartika, between mid-October and mid-November.