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January :
Thaipusam The most fascinating Indian
festival held around January or February. Male
devotees go through the careful spiritual concentration
first in order to ready themselves for the penance
by piercing their bodies with heavy spikes supporting
loaded structures called "kavadi." Kavadi
is a wooden arch decorated with fruits, pots of
milk, or flowers. Some drive the kavadi through
their tongues, cheeks, and bodies. Astonishingly,
not even one drop of blood shed while devotees
march for 3-kilometre journey from Sri Srinivasa
Perumal Temple located on Sarangoon road to Sri
Thandayuthapani in Tank road. There are supporters
gathering around the devotees chanting prayers,
clapping their hands, and encouraging those devotees
all along the way until they reach the destination.
Thaipusam is considered a superstitious penitential
festival. Devotees must make a prayer or fasting
before going through this breathtaking festival
in honor of Lord Subramaniam.
February :
 Chinese
New Year The most special festival held
around January or February, but mostly in February.
It lasts for 15 days yet within the two public
holidays with joyful celebrations and feastings.
Chinese people all over Singapore would come home
for a family reunion dinner one night before the
festival starts.
As this festive period covers 15 days, it brings
so much money to the China Town as it is the first
place people would go for shopping. Along the
footpath, colorful decorations can be seen and
full of shops selling red papers with the writing
of Chinese calligraphy (good words, good meanings),
Chinese pastries, firecracker, and other golden
myriad of things, which represent brightness and
prosperity.
 Hari
Raya Haji Hari Raya Haji is a Muslim celebration
held annually in February but counted as the 12th
month of the Islamic calendar. The pilgrims perform
the pilgrimage to the Islamic sacred city of Mecca.
Male pilgrims are given the title of Haji, while
female pilgrims Hajjah. The highlight is that
they sacrifice goat or buffalo (which later would
be given to the poor) as the gratitude to Allah
(Muslim God) at dawn first and then chant prayers
at the mosque. Muslim families also visit each
others' homes during this festival.
 Chingay
The grandest parade in Singapore arranged
during the Chinese New Year festival representing
the cosmopolitan society with various shows and
activities. Amazingly, there are shows from the
U.S., France, United Kingdom, Japan, and etc.
Those foreigners fly from the other parts of the
world just to attend this amusing festival in
order to spread their cultural performances. There
are about 2,000 performers, both local and foreigners,
and 200,000 spectators march to Orchard Road to
eye the parade. This parade is televised "live"
and is as well transmitted via satellite to Asia
Pacific and international broadcasting networks
River Hong Bao River Hong Bao is
an annual event held during the celebration of
the Chinese New Year period and taken place at
the waterfront area close to Marina Promenade.
The event shows the Chinese tradition alongside
with the relevant Chinese zodiac symbol for that
coming year. The stalls feature the best of Chinese
arts and crafts, while there is a float depicting
the animal of Chinese zodiac in that year, including
huge statues of the Gods of Fortune and Wisdom.
After the sunset, there come the cultural performances.
There are also corners of palm reading from Taiwan
and China to serve those in curiosity.
March :
 Good
Friday Easter This feast is considered
important for the Christians as it reminds them
of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. They gather
in Churches in gratitude of Christ's priceless
sacrifice and special prayers are normally held
at St. Joseph's Catholic Church on Victoria Street.
This solemn festival marks the trail and crucification
of Jesus Christ with the Christians holding white
candles in their hands. All these processes are
for the commemoration of holy Jesus Christ.
April :
Qing Ming Festival
Another Chinese festival held in
early April. The Chinese people would go to the
cemetery to pay homage to their ancestors with
food, fruits, tea, and Chinese pastries. Generally
they do not go alone or with their own family
but with their clan as a whole family reunion.
Joss-sticks and candles are lit and placed before
the tombs to commemorate their ancestors. This
festival clearly represents the sense of gratitude
to one's ancestors.
May :
 Vesaka
Day The holy Buddhist festival that falls
on the full moon day of the 5th month, held in
commemoration of Lord Buddha on His Birth, Enlightenment,
and Death (with the journey to Nirvana) that all
fell on that particular full moon day.
The sutras are chanted since the early morning
by monks in saffron clad, and Buddhist devotees.
Subsequently, imprisoned animals such as birds,
turtles, or eels are set free to nature. Besides,
there are some money and gifts distributed to
the poor by the Buddhists. The celebration includes
marching on the streets which are brightened by
candlelight and the observers are also welcome
to attend the ceremony at Buddhist temples.
June :
 Dragon
Boat Races Festival An exciting Chinese
festival held on the 5th day of the 5th lunar
month (June) to honor the late Chu Yuan. This
festival originating in Chinese mythology recorded
in the fourth century before Christ. Chu Yuan,
a servant of a Chinese Emperor, had a passion
to be a poet. He had so many fine qualities but
his most vivid quality was honesty. The corruption
was widespread at that time, even the king did
commit political corruption. Chu Yuan was sorrowful
with his Emperor and later found his conscience
incapable of serving such king; he then chained
himself with enormous rock and jumped into Tung
Tin Lake in Hunan Province. His body was never
found, but much later people saw his ghost at
the drowning spot crying that "Chu Yuan had
been murdered by water monster."
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