Family Togetherness: The Importance Of Family Togetherness

1.3.5 Family Togetherness

In the study of Crompton and McKay (1997), it stated that the family togetherness represents the desire to enhance the relationship and kinship between family members. Family togetherness is similar with the socialization has emerged from most of the tourism studies into the festivals and events motivation as a salient dimension (Lee, 2000). According to the matrimonial status, the importance of the family togetherness motivation in the festivals might be different (Uysal, Gahan, & Martin, 1993; Backman, Backman, Uysal, & Sunshine, 1995). There is some measurement items proposed by Ralston and Crompton (1988) for the family togetherness motivational factor such as to increase family kinship, so the entire family members

(2003), they defined the family as “a family includes the people who thinks of themselves are being part of the members of the family and no matter with the relationship by blood or marriage, each of the members who always support and care for each other on a regular basis”. And of course, the family has been described as a place with full of love, harmony, nurturance and acceptance and the definition of family proposed by Poston et al. (2003) will be used to identify the significance of an extended family in the festival motivational studies. For example, the respondents in the research of Jepson and Stadler (2017) has stated that attending for the festivals together with the family members would lead to a harmonious family life such as spending time together, having the good communication between each other and many more. Festivals and events with the unique elements and aesthetic value to entertain people, educate and provide the platform for escaping from daily routine that the family member could be benefited through the creation of special event experiences (Jepson & Stadler,

Lunar New Year is also known as Chinese New Year and the Chinese will gather all the family members to celebrate together, the firecrackers and performance of lion dance would be seen in this celebration and the Chinese married adults would give ang pow (red money packet) to the children (Hassan, 2014). Chap Goh Meh is on the 15th day of Lunar New Year, it is a procession which held from a temple and around the street then come back to the temple again and the Chinese “Teochews” people would join in the parade and walk around the town (Daniels, 2015).

Deepavali, Thaipusam and Ponggal are celebrated by Hindu community in Malaysia. Originally, Thaipusam is a day of penance and celebration held during full moon in the month of “Thai” that is between 15th January to 15th February when there would be a huge crowds of people celebrating at Batu Caves and it has now become a popular tourist attractions with both foreigners and locals attending to the festival every year (Ledesma, Lewis, & Savage, 2003). Deepavali is also called the Festival of Lights and Hindus celebrates this festival in the seventh month of the Hindu lunar calendar (Hassan,