The spectacular street festivals with rich multicultural colors are a unique feature of Singapore that attracts international tourists.
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| Colorful street dance performance at Chingay 2023. (Source: Indiplomacy) |
As a country with the world's leading development speed, the lion island nation still cares about preserving traditional cultural features.
Singapore not only owns modern skyscrapers, green-clean-beautiful streets, world-class sound and light shows, but is also a country that always honors the beauty of traditional national culture. Every year, many unique and traditional festivals are held here.
Thaipusam religious festival
The Hindu Foundation Board (HEB) in Singapore recently announced that 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 Centre in Singapore City - will be put into operation, joining three existing venues in Hastings Street, Short Street and Cathay Green, bringing the total to five performance venues.
Musicians playing traditional Indian instruments like kavadis and singing religious songs can perform at these venues. Currently, players of traditional Indian instruments are ready for street processions during the Thaipusam festival in January 2024.
Thaipusam, a religious festival where Hindus seek blessings and take vows, is celebrated on January 25, 2024.
The procession began at 11.30pm on January 24, when the devotees began their journey from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on Serangoon Road to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple on Tank Road, carrying musical instruments and milk pots 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 in four decades after being banned since 1973 due to fights between groups of festival-goers.
In 2019, percussion instruments such as drums and gongs were allowed to be used again at the festival by the government for the first time since a ban in 1973. Religious songs will be performed at the procession points along the 4-km route from 7am to 10pm on Thaipusam day.
Traditional musicians, hymn singers and percussionists will have to register online with the government from December 27 to January 23.
Participants are not allowed to drink alcohol or smoke at temples and along the procession route.
Buddha's Birthday
This is an important festival for Singaporeans, held annually on the full moon day of the fourth lunar month at the Buddha Tooth Relic Site.
The purpose of the festival is to commemorate and celebrate the birthday of Buddha Shakyamuni. This is an opportunity for Singaporean Buddhists to visit temples to pray for peace, read sutras, eat vegetarian food, recite Buddha's name and release animals.
Not only Buddhists in Singapore but also many international tourists participate in the festival. 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. (Source: Straitstimes) |
Pongal Harvest Festival
The Pongal harvest festival has its roots in Indian culture. It falls on October 1st of the Tamil calendar (January in the Gregorian calendar) and is celebrated with great fanfare in the Campbell Lane neighbourhood.
On the day of the festival, Singaporeans visit their relatives, neighbors, and friends to visit, wish them good health, and have fun. This is also the day when Singaporean farmers honor their livestock, poultry, and agricultural machinery, hoping that they will bring them a bountiful harvest.
Chingay Parade Singapore
During the Lunar New Year in Singapore, foreign tourists coming here cannot help but be impressed with the Chingay Parade Singapore street festival.
Chingay Parade is one of the largest street parades 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 the occasion of Lunar New Year every year since 1973. The bustling atmosphere and long-standing culture are still preserved and promoted, creating the attraction for the Chingay Parade festival with international friends.
Chingay Parade is a grand street parade with floats, colorfully dressed performers, musical performances and fireworks.
This parade festival is now famous worldwide with performances by representatives from many countries with many different cultures.
After two years of being held online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chingay Parade Singapore returns on February 3 and 4, 2023 with performances by Singaporean artists and six international groups.
A 20-member Vietnamese artist group from the Ho Chi Minh City Light Music Center went to Singapore to attend the festival and introduced to international audiences the unique culture of Vietnam through colorful and graceful Ao Dai costumes.
Street festivals are unique activities for the people of the Lion Island to both have fun and "relax" after working days, and to strengthen solidarity between ethnic groups 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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