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 Chinese New Year
January or February
Chinese New Year starts of the year according to the
Chinese calendar. The colour red is prominently
displayed as the Chinese believe it's a lucky
colour. The children and younger generation receive
ang pows which are red packets containing money. You
can catch a lion dance performance at various
venues. Multi-colored lights and bright decorations
light up Chinatown along Eu Tong Sen Street and New
Bridge Road Chinese New Year.
 Chingay Parade January
or February
Venue: Orchard Road
Singapore's grandest street festival celebrates the Chinese Lunar New
Year with a parade down Orchard Road. Favorites
include the stilt-walkers, lion dancers and floats.
Hari Raya Puasa 19th
January
Signals the end of Ramadan with three days of celebrations in January or
February.During Ramadan, the Muslim holy month,
vendor stalls sell food in the Arab Street district
near the Sultan Mosque after sunset.
Thaipusam 31st
January Venue: Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple and Sri
Thandayuthapani Temple
Thaipusam honors Lord Subramaniam, and on this day of atonement devotees
offer thanks or fulfill vows to the deity. A long
procession of Hindu penitents carry 'kavadis',
pierced their bodies with hooks and barbs, marches
from Serangoon Road to Tank Road.
 Singapore River Hong Bao
February
This annual Lunar New Year extravaganza features a
variety show with top regional and local artists
performing. Complete with fireworks, merchant kiosks
and hawker stalls.
 Hari Raya Haji
March Venue: Various Venues
An important religious occasion for Muslims who spend the day in prayer
to commemorate the Haj or pilgrimage to Mecca. After
the morning prayer, sheep and goats are ritually
slaughtered and the meat is distributed to the poor.
Singapore Fashion Festival
March/April This Festival offers an eye-opening
preview to the season’s trendiest colours, fabrics and styles
through a series of exciting fashion shows and exhibitions, as
well as product launches. Shop in between the visual feasts
and take advantage of the promotions held in conjunction with
the Festival.
Singapore Food Festival
March/April With over 40 food and lifestyle events
rolled into one, this annual culinary showdown is truly “where
the world comes to feast”! Tantalise your taste buds with
mouth-watering cuisines as restaurants, shopping malls, hotels
and some of Singapore’s favourite attractions dish out a
melting pot of traditional and contemporary creations hailing
from the East and West.
 Vesak April or May Venue:
Island-wide
The life of Buddha is celebrated on Vesak Day in
April or May and caged birds are released to
symbolize the liberation of captive souls.
Celebrations are carried out at all Buddhist temples
where monks commemorate their Lord Buddha's entry
into Nirvana by chanting holy sutras and releasing
captive birds. Good locations to watch the
festivities include Buddhist Lodge at River Valley
Road, Thai Buddhist Temple at Jalan Bukit Merah and
Lian Shan Shuang Lin Temple at Jalan Toa Payoh.
 Qing
Ming Festival
April
At the crack of dawn, temples throng with Chinese
believers offering prayers in remembrance of the
deceased. Observe the day's rituals as families burn
joss sticks and incense, and prepare a delectable
feast for their ancestors. Kong Meng San Phor Kark
See Temple at Sin Ming Avenue is an excellent place
to experience this annual ceremony of filial piety
and family togetherness.
 Great Singapore Sale
May
to July
At a coordinated island this is a wide extravaganza.
The Great Singapore Sale has many stores offering
spectacular mark-downs and special discounts.
 Dragon Boat Race May or June Venue:
Marina Bay
The Singapore World Invitational Dragon Boat Races commemorate the death
of a famous poet who drowned himself to protest
political corruption. Teams from around the world
compete for honours. The ' 99 Festival will be held
at Marina Bay, the race course will start at Nicoll
Highway Bridge and end at Benjamin Sheares Bridge.
 Singapore
Arts Festival June
Don't
miss this eclectic mix of dance, drama and music
from around the world. Also keep an eye out for the
fringe events held at venues all around Singapore.
 Dumpling Festival
June
One of the most important Chinese festivals in
Singapore is the Dumpling Festival. You will find
the widest array of dumplings and glutinous rice
desserts on sale in the longest Dumpling Fair ever,
which include lion dances, Chinese orchestra
performance, Chinese opera and even a karaoke
evening. Don't miss the celebration highlight come
to Albert Mall and join in the festivity where
teams of rollerblades dressed as dragons race down
and clear obstacles along the mall.
 Arts
in the park July
Several times a month, musical and theatre
performances are held in Singapore's beautifully
landscaped parks. Enjoy music ranging from Chinese
Orchestra to Percussion to Choir and exhilarating
theatre performances.
 Singapore Food Festival July
Venue: Various venues
July is dedicated to food. Eateries go all out in
promoting the island as a food paradise. Nowhere
else can you find such an amazing variety of food in
one place. The Singapore Food Festival is the
melting pot for tantalizing cuisine's of the
Chinese, Indians, Malays and more. Participate in
the opening celebrations from 2 to 4 July at Parco
Bugis Junction where an entire air-conditioned
street will be converted to a giant buffet stretch.
"A Taste of Asia" Asian cuisine will
jointly present at several hotels, from 2 to 10
July.
 National
Day Celebrations
August
Join the country as she celebrates the National Day
with pomp and pageantry. The annual National Day
Parade in august promises a fun-filled occasion
complete with cultural dances and fireworks galore.
 Hungry Ghosts Festival
August or September
The Festival of the Hungry Ghosts is usually
observed in September, when the souls of the dead
roam the earth, people burn incense in order to be
blessed and not to be disturbed by the spirit.
Chinese opera performances and offerings of food are
dedicated to the spirits.
 Birthday of the Monkey God Navarathiri
September or October
 Lantern Festival September
Venue: Chinese Garden
A grand lantern display is the highlight of this traditional mid-Autumn
celebration. Particularly striking at night, the
Chinese Garden becomes a fairyland of lights and
colors. Lion and dragon dances including cultural
shows, Chinese instrumentalists, craftsmen and
variety shows. Children receive free lanterns each
evening, while stocks last. From 9 am - 10 pm daily.
 Mid-Autumn Festival September
Venue: Chinatown
The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the 15th
day of the 8th lunar month, when there's full moon
at its brightest and most enchanting. The highlight
of the festival will be the Mooncake Fair in
Chinatown where street-stalls offer an amazing
variety of mooncakes and other products such as
ornamental lanterns, fruits, pastries and souvenirs.
The most catching sight is the Children's Lantern
Parade, with hundreds of children parading down the
streets of Chinatown with their colourful lanterns.
 Gods Festival October
or November
Venue: Nine Emperor Gods Temple, Upper Serangoon
Road
(near the junction of Yio Chu Kang Road)
The Nine Emperor Gods are believed to cure ailments
and bestow good fortune and longevity when they
visit earth during the nine days of this festival.
Priests write charms with their blood and at the
climax of the celebrations, images of the nine gods
are paraded, each in a decorative sedan chair
carried by eight men.
 Deepavali November Venue:
Little India
The Hindu Festival of Light celebrates the victory of good over evil and
light over darkness. Temples and homes are lit up at
night as special delicacies are cooked up for the
occasion.
Singapore River Buskers' Festival
Anytime August to November
Some of the best street performers from all over the
world visit to entertain Singapore in this
street show extravaganza. Let jugglers and mime
artistes thrill you with their antics and street
comedians tickle your funny bone.
Pilgrimage to Kusu Island
November Venue: Kusu Island
Kusu Island, off Singapore's southern coast, is sacred to both Taoists
and Muslims. According to legend, a turtle once
turned itself into an island Kusu Island, to save two fishermen --
a Chinese, and a Malay, when their boat capsized.
The men lived in harmony and became sworn brothers.
Taoists make a yearly pilgrimage to the Tua Pekong
Temple during the ninth lunar month. A Malay shrine
nearby is also usually bedecked with offerings.
 Thimithi Festival
October/November Venue: Sri Mariamman Temple.
The Hindu fire-walking festival, is celebrated at Sri Mariamman Temple in
October. Little India's streets and temples are
festooned with lights and garlands for Deepavali,
the Hindu Festival of Lights in October or November.
Crowds pack the Sri Mariamman Temple on South Bridge
road, to watch the barefoot Hindu devotees walk
across a pit of red hot embers without showing any
signs of pain. Festival celebrations begin at 2am
and the fire-walking takes place at 5pm. It is
advised to get to the temple early to obtain a good
vantage point. Temple etiquette requires
visitors to be dressed appropriately, and shoes must
be removed at the door.
 Christmas
December This
Christian festival is celebrated throughout
Singapore and the whole city decorates its shops and
streets to celebrate the
occasion.
 Singapore
River Fiesta December
The Singapore River comes alive during this fiesta.
The event features a calendar of exciting activities
all held at the nation's historic waterway.
Westerners
should keep in mind that there are indeed several
calendars actively in use. For example, here are 11
public holidays in Singapore:
- New
Year's Day (January 1)
- Chinese
New Year (January or February)
- Good
Friday (April)
- Labor
Day (May 1)
- Vesak
Day May 29)
- National
Day (August 9)
- Deepavali
(November)
- Christmas
(December 25)
- Hari
Raya Puasa (January)
- Hari
Raya Haji (March)
These include three secular holidays, New Year's Day,
Labour Day and National Day, and eight
religious/racial holidays: Two Chinese, two Islamic,
two Indian and two Christian. Christmas falls on a
fixed date in the Gregorian calendar, but the other
seven traditional holidays are movable.
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