Brilliant Singapore festivals
Spectacular street festivals imbued with multicultural colors are unique to Singapore and attract international tourists.
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| Colorful dance performance on the street at Chingay Festival 2023. (Photo: Indiplomacy) |
As a country with the world's leading growth speed, the Merlion Island still cares about preserving its traditional culture.
Singapore not only owns modern skyscrapers, clean, green and beautiful streets, and the world's top sound and light shows, but is also a country that always honors the beauty of its cultural and national traditions. Every year, there are many unique and traditional festivals held here.
Thaipusam religious festival
Recently, the Hindu Foundation Board (HEB) in Singapore said there will be more live music performances on the streets of Singapore from early 2024.
Accordingly, two new live music venues - located on Clemenceau Avenue and opposite the Selegie Center in Singapore - will be put into operation, along with three existing venues on Hastings Street, Short Street and Cathay Green Street, bringing the total to five demonstration sites.
Musicians who play traditional Indian instruments such as kavadis and sing religious songs may perform at these venues. Now players of traditional Indian musical instruments are getting ready for street processions at the Thaipusam festival in January 2024.
Thaipusam, a religious festival where Hindu devotees seek blessings and take vows, is held on January 25, 2024.
The procession started at 11:30 p.m. on January 24, when the group of devotees began their journey from Sri Srinivasa Perumal temple on Serangoon Road to Sri Thendayuthapani temple on Tank Road, carrying musical instruments and milk bottles as offerings.
Musicians perform on Hastings Street and Short Street from 7am to noon and from 4pm to 10pm.
In 2016, live music was allowed to perform at the Thaipusam festival for the first time after four decades of being banned since 1973 due to fights between groups of people attending the festival.
In 2019, percussion instruments such as drums and gongs were allowed by the government to be used again at the festival for the first time since the ban in 1973. At procession points along the 4 km long route, there will be performances of songs. Religious chants from 7am to 10pm on Thaipusam festival day.
Musicians, hymn singers and traditional percussion instrument players will have to register online with the government from December 27 to January 23.
Participants are not allowed to drink alcohol and smoke at temples and along the procession route.
Buddha's Birthday celebration
This is an important holiday for Singaporeans, held every year on the full moon day of the fourth lunar month at The Buddha Tooth relic site.
The purpose of the festival is to remember and celebrate the birthday of Shakyamuni Buddha. This is an opportunity for Buddhist Singaporeans to go to the temple to pray for peace, read scriptures, recite Buddha's name and release animals.
Participating in the festival are not only Buddhists in Singapore but also many international tourists. And of course, those who participate in the festival will understand more about the unique features of Buddhism in this country.
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| Pongal Harvest Festival. (Photo: Straits Times) |
Pongal Harvest Festival
The Pongal harvest festival has its roots in Indian culture. This festival takes place on October 1 of the Tamil calendar (in January of the solar calendar), and is held bustlingly in the Campbell Lane neighborhood.
On the day of the festival, Singaporeans go to the homes of relatives, neighbors, and friends to visit, wish good health, and have fun. This is also the day Singaporean farmers honor livestock, poultry, and agricultural machinery with the hope that they will bring them good harvests.
Chingay Parade Singapore
During Lunar New Year in Singapore, foreign tourists coming here cannot help but be impressed with the Singapore Chingay Parade street festival.
Chingay Parade is one of the largest street parade festivals in Asia, organized annually by the Singapore People's Association.
The Chingay Parade festival was born in the late 19th century and officially became a traditional festival of Singapore on Lunar New Year every year since 1973. The bustling atmosphere and ancient culture are still preserved and preserved. promote and create attraction for the Chingay Parade festival with international friends.
Chingay Parade is a majestic street parade with decorative cars and artists wearing colorful costumes, artistic performances with musical instruments and indispensable fireworks.
This parade festival is now globally famous with the participation of representatives from many countries and many different cultures.
After two years of having to be held online due to the Covid-19 epidemic, Chingay Parade Singapore returned on February 3 and 4, 2023 with performances by Singaporean artists and six international artist groups.
The Vietnamese artist troupe includes 20 members from the Pop Music Center of Ho Chi Minh City came to Singapore to attend the festival and introduced to international audiences the unique culture of Vietnam through colorful and graceful ao dai (traditional Vietnamese long dress).
Street festivals are a unique activity for the people of the Merlion Island to have fun and "relax" after days of work, while also strengthening solidarity between ethnicities in the country and the international community.
These are important events that Singaporeans cannot ignore because of their traditional cultural characteristics. These good values have been preserved and promoted for a long time, until today.
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