Saturday 13 February 2016

Celebrating Chinese New Year in Singapore

The Chinese New Year is here again. It is basically a festival where Chinese celebrate at the turn of the Lunar Year of the Chinese calendar, also known as the Spring Festival. Located within the heart of Singapore, Chinatown, is a place where the yearly Chinese New Year celebrations were held. Bustling shops and busy tenants would set up their stalls, preparing to welcome the festival. Staying in the neighbourhood doesn't give you the festival feel, therefore I had to make a trip down to Chinatown to have a feel of the festival.

When I arrived at the MRT station, it was already filled with busy shoppers carrying lots of bulky stuffs walking in and out of the station. It had seemed like there were lots of things to buy for this festive season. I walked out onto the main street and there it was, red colour was on displayed everywhere. Red color corresponded with fire, symbolized  joy and good fortune. It also represented good luck when a red packet was given during the Chinese New Year. It was a symbol of happiness, therefore, red can be seen in most joyous occasions such as weddings, childbirth, birthdays, and gifts.

The streets of Chinatown were bustling with red, and it was indeed a place where we should go to feel the festive mood.



There were stalls selling the New Year ornaments, which some of us Chinese believed that it might bring us good luck. We would hang it in our house, sometimes near the door or near the window, hoping luck would come in through those openings. Some would hang it on their bags, hoping that luck followed wherever they were. 

Chinese New Year is also a time where Chinese would feast. We would buy lots of food and goodies, symbolizing that food was ample throughout the year. 






As the night falls, the roads were being lighted up and that was the time where dozens of photographers started getting busy. All kinds of different shots were captured for the perfect photo. 


After snapping some roads photos, I walked back into the streets to see what else could I see. When the night falls, the streets were getting crowded as people flocked down after they knocked off from work. I was having a hard time manoeuvring my way in again. So I decided to bulldozed, and I was in.


Well, I had ended my walk here as it was getting late. Gotta get up for work again the next day. I could clearly feel the festive mood as I made my way home. 



Nearest Station: Chinatown