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EveryParampara

Traditions of Singapore

A city-state where Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian traditions share the same streets and the same hawker centres.

Singapore is an island city at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, with four official languages and a calendar of festivals from many faiths. Neighbourhoods such as Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam keep their own temples, mosques and markets. Hawker centres, the open-air food courts, have been recognised by UNESCO as living heritage.

Singapore: Raffles Place , Singapore .
Photo: Ramir Borja ., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Festivals through the year

Chinese New Year brings lion dances and the Chingay parade. Hari Raya Puasa lights up Geylang Serai, and Deepavali decorates Serangoon Road. Thaipusam, the Hungry Ghost month and the Mid-Autumn lantern festival all have their place. The Chinese tradition of lo hei, tossing a raw fish salad for luck, is a New Year favourite.

At the table

Hainanese chicken rice, laksa, chilli crab, roti prata and kaya toast with soft eggs are staples of the hawker table. Peranakan nyonya cooking adds ayam buah keluak and kueh. Breakfast, a coffee and toast set, is eaten at a kopitiam, and tea is strong and sweet.

Signature traditions of Singapore

ThaipusamThe Hindu festival of penance.

Also part of it, and being written: Hawker centre (The open-air food centres.), Chinese New Year (The lunar new year festival.), Hari Raya Puasa (Eid in the Malay community.), Yusheng (The raw fish salad of lo hei.).

A trail idea for Singapore

  1. Maxwell Food Centre Order a chicken rice lunch.
  2. Sri Mariamman Temple The city's oldest Hindu temple.
  3. Kampong Glam Visit the Sultan Mosque and the Malay Heritage Centre.
About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

KindSpiritualFestivalRite of passageTable customSeasonalDressPerformanceEtiquetteCraftGameFolkloreHomeCeremony
MealBreakfastLunchDinnerSupperTea-time and snacking customsTea, coffee and drinking ceremoniesSweets given and sharedFeasts and festival mealsFasting and breaking the fast

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Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly EveryParampara

Every week: one tradition from somewhere new, what is being celebrated around the world this week, and one idea explained.