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3 Must-see Festivals in Singapore

Singapore has a multi-ethnic population who celebrates many festivals throughout the year. Visitors should not miss these 3: Thaipusam, Chinese New Year and the Orchard Road Christmas Light Up.

With its multi-ethnic population, Singapore celebrates a myriad of festivals throughout the year. If you plan on visiting Singapore, you’ll enjoy mingling with the locals during these festivals. Here are 3 festivals in Singapore which visitors would not want to miss.

    * Thaipusam Festival (moving date, January or February):

    * Thaipusam is a festival to honor the Hindu deity, Lord Subramaniam. It is a time for Hindus to perform acts of penance or to give thanks for answered prayers.

    * In the weeks leading to Thaipusam, devotees spend up to a month praying and fasting. When the day arrives, friends and family help to load a cage-like steel frame onto the devotee’s body. This frame, which is also called a kavadi, may weigh up to 30kg! It is elaborately decorated with images of Hindu deities and peacock feathers.

    * Now, if you think this is some weight training of sorts, think again. From the frame of the kavadi, numerous spikes extend inwards into the devotee’s flesh. Then, there are the skewers that go through the devotee’s cheeks and tongue. As if this is not enough, oversized fish hooks cling precariously to the devotee’s back. Quite amazingly, nobody cringes and nobody bleeds!

    * Then, just when you think that the man has been punished enough, he goes on a 4km procession with all these punctures on his body, often skipping and dancing along the way! Should you be in Singapore at this time, don’t miss Thaipusam. See it to believe it.

    * Chinese New Year (moving date, January or February):

    * Chinese New Year is probably the most loved Chinese festival. It originated in China, where it is also called the Spring Festival because farming communities traditionally ‘welcome the Spring’. In modern times, it is a season to put the past behind and look forward to the future.

    * In Singapore, Chinese families begin the celebrations by shopping for Chinese New Year goodies and decorations.

    * In the 3 or 4 weeks leading to Chinese New Year’s Day, the streets of Chinatown bustle with roadside stalls and throngs of shoppers. You know that the season has arrived when you see those quaint Chinese lanterns start to hang from buildings. If you are in town, remember also to check out the acrobats at Telok Ayer Square. See them bend, contort and perform stunts to rapturous applause.

    * Apart from the usual reunion dinner and visits to friends and relatives, Chinese Singaporeans look forward to the River Hong Bao Carnival.

    * Held at the Esplanade Park, the River Hong Bao is a place to see age-old Chinese beliefs in action. Look out for the incredibly huge lanterns representing the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Around the Golden Tree of Wishes, the locals make their wishes and then throw coins at the Tree for good luck. Watch and be amused, or join in the fun, for all the money collected is donated to charity.

    * Then when you have had your fill, head for the Esplanade Bridge to enjoy the fireworks display.

    * The Orchard Road Christmas Light Up (Mid-November to End of December):

    * For more than 20 years now, the Orchard Road Christmas Light Up has captivated both locals and visitors to Singapore. In fact, 20% of visitors at the Christmas Light Up are repeat visitors.

    * If you head down to Orchard Road during this time, you will obviously find the usual Christmas fare - dramas and carols performed by church groups.

    * But perhaps you will be most enchanted by the Christmas lights. Uncountable fairy lights, bells and baubles hang over Singapore’s main shopping belt. They adorn the entire 5km stretch from Orchard Road to Marina Bay. Take a ride on an open-top double-decker bus, or watch from the road-side as the Christmas floats make their way through this Fairyland of sorts. It’ll remind you of that first visit to Disneyland and its magical Parade of Floats. 

    * If you come from the Northern Hemisphere, this is a great chance to experience Christmas with a difference, right in the warmth of the Tropics.

3 Must-see Festivals in Singapore / Gabriel Tan

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gabriel Tan is the editor of eTour Singapore. Visit his website and allow him to show you those charming little spots and answer your travel questions.

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What is Face?

The Asian concept of ‘face’ is often suggested as the explanation for all things strange in Thai behaviour. How much influence does face really have on the Thai mentality?

Western visitors to Thailand often find themselves struggling for an explanation to the mysteries of Thai behaviour. Why do they sometimes behave in ways that seem so strange to us? One common explanation often put forward is the Thai concept of ‘face’.

Why won’t they admit they are wrong? They would lose face. Why won’t they admit they don’t know? They would lose face. Why did I get bad service? Because you lost your temper and lost face. Again and again, when newcomers ask for an explanation to some strange facet of Thai behaviour, the old timers give this simple explanation.
I often wonder if the influence of face is not overstated. Are the concepts of face really so different from our own?

What is Face?
Face is a concept that is widespread across most of southern and eastern Asia. It is the idea that it is important to maintain your own reputation and not look bad in front of others. It is good to have high social status. It is good to have a good job, a position of responsibility or influence. It is bad to be seen to fail or do something stupid.

It is also bad to cause other people to lose face. So while maintaining your own reputation you should try not to demean others.

When you look at these ideas, there is nothing unusual about them. Doesn’t everybody want to have a good reputation? Shouldn’t everybody respect others? They seem like universal concepts. However, the belief is that these are far stronger driving forces in Asia than elsewhere.

How Does Face Work in Thailand?

How face affects Thai behaviour is a big subject. If you really analysed it you could write a book on the subject. We will only attempt to scratch the surface. The first thing to say is that the following are generalisations. Many Thais are not that strongly influenced by face. Still, there are a few ways in which face consistently affects Thai life.

Personal Appearance
Personal appearance is important. It is the first impression you make on people. Thais are generally well turned out, especially when working, going out or dealing with officials.

Many westerners in Thailand enjoy the laid-back atmosphere and like to dress casual in dirty old shirts, shorts and flip-flops. This is fine in casual situations but it can make a bad impression in more formal situations such as dealing with officials. Government officials and offices are positions of respect and if you turn up scruffy, they may see it as a disrespectful start.

You will make this bad opening impression worse if you have tattoos, body piercings or an unusual haircut. These are all things that in Thailand are associated with lower class people. Thailand is a hierarchal society and the impression you make does affect the response you will get from officials. Looking smart is not everything but it is a factor in getting good service.

Behaviour
It is important to act with a degree of dignity. Thais are not serious people but they still like to carry themselves with a little decorum. Joking and fooling around is fine within limits but you should not be too loud or make a spectacle of yourself.

Temper
It is bad to lose your temper or argue in public. That is not to say it doesn’t happen. Thais are human and prone to the odd outburst like most people. However, generally they try to control their anger and keep their composure. If they find themselves in a dispute then they believe a strong word and a cold smile are better ways to get their point across while maintaining their face.

Respect Others
It is important to help other people maintain their face. Causing someone else to lose face can actually also cause a loss of face for yourself. The strange thing here is that it is very much to people’s faces that you must respect them. Gossiping behind peoples backs is as common here as it is in the west.

Over-reaction to Losing Face
One strange thing about face is that Thais can overreact if they feel they have lost face. While we have already stated that losing your temper is a loss of face, when Thais do lose their temper they can lose it in a big way. They know they are looking bad and losing face and this can actually magnify their anger. The result can be extreme over-reactions and sometimes acts of violence.

Conclusion
The above are just a selection of the ways in which face influences Thai behaviour. However, when you look at them, none of them are that alien to western values. We like to look good, make a good impression, we want people to like and respect us. We do tend to believe it is good to control our tempers and respect others.

There is no doubt that face is a factor in understanding Thai behaviour. It does affect the Thai mentality in subtle and deep-reaching ways. However, I do believe it is a mistake to over-state its importance. The explanations of Thai behaviour are often much simpler. Human nature is still the greatest driving force. The things that influence our behaviour such as lovePsychology Articles, greed and ego are also the forces that influence Thais.

Thais really are not so different from us. The reason we often don’t understand Thai behaviour is simple - people are complicated.

What is Face? / James Spellman

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
To read more articles about the fascinating island of Phuket visit Phuket Travel Guide and Articles where you will find articles and visitor information.

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