Chinatown Singapore
Its 19th February 2015 – the Chinese New Year or you may call it the Lunar New Year. For many in China its the most special reunion and family dinner time!!
A very happy-happy one to everyone whose reading it. Hope you know, its a sheep/ goat/ram year this time and therefore don’t forget to wear sheep talismans or accessories to have a great year. 🙂
And if you behave like a sheep, I am sure everything’s gonna be great! I love sheep, they look so cute and docile.
Chinese New Year is all about resplendent Red
And I learnt about Chinese New Year…
- Its the time of the year when large scale annual human migration takes place because millions of people travel home in China as the festival holds special significance for China and its people who spend days in traveling to ensure that they spend the time with their family.
- Chinese New Year is celebrated for fifteen days starting from the eve of the turn of the Chinese calendar to the fifteenth day of the 1st month. It is also called Spring Festival in China.
- Chinese New Year’s date is never fixed. It falls on different days every year between 21st Jan to 20th Feb.
- Various ancestral traditions are connected with this day. Cleanliness of the house is of utmost importance and then follows the beautiful decorations. Paper and money is burnt as an offering to ancestors. Red packets – hong bao are exchanged within people as its considered lucky money.
- Lion-dancers throng Chinatowns and the whole street dazzles in bright red lanterns. RED is the color of this festival. Otherwise also I remember from my visits, I have seen that China town’s and Chinese love everything in red.
- Fireworks mark the celebrations as they help to drive the evil. And the family dinner takes place at home.
- Everything you do or say is meant to invite good luck for the whole year.
- Chinese New year is a major highlight in China, Malaysia, Singapore, Hongkong, Taiwan and countries which boast of Chinese community.
The beautiful street that leads us deep into culture and history
Shopping time it is- Chinese New Year
China Town- Singapore
Last year I got a chance to visit two ‘China Towns’ of Asia, one in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and other in Singapore. Though none of the trips happened during this time of the year and I have no pictures of the festival but my visit to Chinatown itself was enough to get me curious about the Chinese community and this festival. Later I read about it more.
Since 2014 was the year of travels for me and I am still writing about my adventures of Oman and stories of Malaysia, I have not been able to flag off a Singapore series yet. But today on the occasion of Chinese New Year, I couldn’t hold myself from recollecting memories of my visit to this beautiful, resplendent street of Singapore, all decked up in colorful lanterns.
Yes today, I feel nostalgic about Singapore and its vibrant area- Chinatown. I remember everything about it from the glowing streets, beautiful lanes, exciting shops, enticing lanterns to its awesome street food. The Smith Street’s huge open air food market was my favorite where I ended up eating twice. I am sure today all the Chinatowns would have come alive and especially in Singapore it must be a fun time since Singaporeans celebrate this day with great enthusiasm.
Hope you enjoy the pictures from my visit to Singapore-Chinatown in November 2014.
Lanterns in all shapes, sizes and colors
I love the vibrant colors of the market and I wanted to buy everything On your right is the vibrant CHINATOWN
Chinatown Heritage Center that tells beautiful ancestral stories
This year keep following my blog because I am covering unique festivals that are celebrated in the countries that I have visited or plan to cover this year.
Happy Traveling!!!
Lovely!! Such beautiful pictures..
Thank u.