The Mid-autumn Festival (or Zhong Qiu Jie in Mandarin), also known as the Mooncake Festival, falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. It is called the Mid-autumn Festival because the 15th day is the middle of a month, and the eighth lunar month is in the ...

Zhong Yuan Jie (中元节), also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, traditionally falls on the 15th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. In Singapore, the festival is observed throughout the entire seventh lunar month, which is usually around the month of ...

The dragon dance, also known as longwu (龙舞) or longdeng (龙灯), is a traditional Chinese dance performance involving a team of performers using poles to rhythmically move a dragon prop. The dance is performed during Chinese festive celebrations such as Lunar New ...

Deepavali, or Diwali (literally translated as “a row of lights”; also known as the Festival of Lights), is a festival celebrated by Hindus worldwide. The festival falls on the 14th day of the dark fortnight in the Tamil month of Aipasi (mid-October to mid-November), ...

Thaipusam is a temple festival celebrated by Hindus of Tamil descent in Singapore. It is probably the single most important public rite observed by the community every year between January 14 and February 14. Most Hindu festivals fall either on full moon day (Punarpusam) ...

Hari Raya Haji (which means “great day of the haj” in Malay), also known as Aidiladha (alternatively spelt as Eid al-Adha or Eid Adha) or the Great Day of Sacrifice, is a Muslim festival that falls on the 10th day of Zulhijjah (the 12th month in the Islamic calendar). ...

A platform to showcase dance practitioners and choreographers, and endear Singaporeans to dance as an art form – then known as the Festival of Dance – had begun as early as 1982. In 1993, the dance festival was subsumed under a bigger performing arts congregation, ...

Navaratri, meaning nine (nava) nights (ratri), is a festival celebrating the Hindu goddess Shakti, in all her different manifestations and glory. It is a popular festival that originated from India and is celebrated by Indians all over the world. In Singapore, ...

The first Singapore Fashion Festival was launched on 16 March 2001. The annual two-week-long festival is supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) with the aim of making Singapore the fashion capital of Asia. Festival highlights include the showcase of international ...

Chinese New Year is celebrated by most Chinese in Singapore. The first day of the lunar new year usually falls between the winter solstice (dongzhi) and spring’s beginning (lichun). This typically falls between 21 January and 20 February each year.

Ponggal or Pongal, also known as Makara Sankranti, is celebrated in mid-January by South Indians as a festival marking the rice harvest. Pongal, a mixture of sweet boiled rice is made and offered to Surya, the Sun God. The name is derived from the Tamil word pongu, ...

Chingay is an annual street parade held in Singapore as part of the Lunar New Year celebrations. The term “Chingay” is derived from the Hokkien Chinese term 妆艺, which means “to decorate a frame with incense and boys dressed as girls carried in processions”, according ...

The Nine Emperor Gods Festival is generally held from the last day of the eighth lunar month to the ninth day of the ninth lunar month among Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. It begins with the welcoming of the gods into the temple where they are to be worshipped ...

The festival of Eid, known in Singapore as Hari Raya Aidilfitri or Hari Raya Puasa, falls on the first day of Syawal, the 10th month of the Hijrah (Islamic) calendar. It is a celebratory occasion following a month of fasting, which is known as Ramadan. Hari Raya ...

Various cakes, fruits, sweetmeats, nuts and delicacies are popular treats served and eaten during Chinese New Year as part of festivities celebrated in Singapore by those of Chinese descent. These items are served primarily because their names have auspicious double ...

Drama festival was first launched in August 1978 as part of goverment initiatives to invigorate the local arts scene.

The first Singapore River Buskers’ Festival was held along the Singapore River from 15 to 23 November 1997. Organised by The A Team Promotions in collaboration with the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB), the festival was part of the three-month Celebration ...

Numerous rites and rituals associated with Christmas which have been handed down through the ages have been adopted by Asians and Singaporeans in an odd mixture. Aside from Christmas trees, gift exchanging, Christmas greetings sent through cards and the inevitable ...

The festival Vesakhi (or Baisakhi) is the Sikh New Year. It typically falls on 13 April annually, or the first day of the Sikh calendar. Instituted by the 10th Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the festival commemorates the occasion in which five brave Sikhs offered ...

Vesak Day, spelt “Wesak Day” until the 1970s, commemorates the birth, enlightenment and attainment of nirvana of Siddharta Gautama Shakyamuni (Sakyamuni) Buddha. The day falls on the full moon of the fourth lunar month.