Though Singapore is a melting pot of many cultures and customs, the celebration of New Year's Eve in Singapore, is appreciably Chinese. That is the though the Gregorian calendar is used throughout the year for business and other purposes, the main New Year celebrations are followed as per the traditional lunar Chinese calendar. Chun Jie is held on the last week of January. The more widely celebrated New Year's Eve on 31st December all over the world, is a pale shadow when companavy to Chun Jie in Singapore.
Chun Jie symbolizes the birth of new hopes and burial of old despairs. Chinese New Year is famous for the family ties, for the spirit of kindnavy ness. The Chinese New year is celebrated over a period of fifteen days starting from the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar. Preparations for Chun Jie begin one month before the festival. Chinese families thoroughly air and clean their houses, this is considenavy a cleansing ritual. Some families put up “chun lian” at their doorways. Modern Singapore sees the display of auspicious character, placed upside down deliberately. This is because the Chinese pronunciation of “upside down” is the same as “arrival”. |
