'LEAVING THE GARDEN' RITUAL

I have actually heard of this ritual before many years ago. If my memory does not fail me, I came to know about it because one of my young relatives became very ill and was advised to go through this ritual after the mother consulted a medium. Miraculously, after the ceremony was carried out the girl recovered.
Yesterday, I read in the Star Newspaper that one such ritual was carried out by the Teochew Eight Districts Association in Johor Bahru. This is actually the third time the Chu Hua Yuan ritual meaning “leaving the garden” was held by the association. 17 boys and girls aged 15 took part in the ritual. According to Chinese calculation 15 is the age of attaining puberty and these 17 were said to begin a new phase of their life.

"The Association president Dr Tang Hai Chiang said that according to tradition, a child was recognised as an adult after the ceremony.
He explained that the clan believed the child lived in a “garden” from the day of birth and was taken care of by an elderly couple, referred to as Kong Pho, meaning grandfather and grandmother.
He said the ritual, usually held on the seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar, was conducted for the child to pay homage to the couple and thank them for the protection and care they had given during the past 15 years.
Dr Tang also said the custom signified a new role for families – the children would start to take part in discussions and decision-making while parents are reminded not to treat their young as children any more.
Met at the ceremony held yesterday at the association’s building in Stulang Laut, Dr Tang said the participants had to mandi bunga to cleanse themselves before the ceremony and put on new clothing and a pair of red clogs.
“They also have to offer a variety of Teochew traditional food to the old couple,” he said, adding that they had to bite a chicken’s head symbolising that leadership qualities would be endowed on them."
Source: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/8/24/nation/4576356&sec=nation