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Home to a melting pot of cultures, ethnicities, races and religions, the city state of Singapore is a wonderful place to visit especially during the festive season. However, given its communal diversity, this state is home to a fairly divergent collection of festivals and religious celebrations and thus, it is likely that whenever you visit the country, there will always be a festival being celebrated by the locals!
Singapore cultural events kick off with the Chinese New Year, which is also known as the Spring Festival and the Lunar New Year by the locals and is one event that is celebrated by all Singaporeans regardless of their ethnicity or religion. During this celebration, new clothes are worn to welcome the New Year, houses are cleaned, relatives are visited and little children are gifted with small red bags known as ‘Hong Bao’ which are small pouches filled with money.
Another cultural event which takes place in May is the Vesak Festival, a Buddhist celebration that commemorates the Birth, Enlightenment and the Death of the Buddha. On this date, Singaporeans who are of the Buddhist faith will congregate at temples with flowers and light incense sticks, sing hymns and seek peace that comes from true knowledge. During this period, Buddhists also engage in meritorious deeds such as the donation of blood, releasing of animals etc. in the belief that the merits accrued would multiply.
Additionally the ethnic festival of Sankaranthi, more popularly known as the Pongal Festival is a celebration of a bountiful harvest and is an Asian version of the Western Thanksgiving celebrations. The Thai Pongal Festival is celebrated for four days during which homes are cleaned and spruced, Pongal is made and offered to the deities, relatives are visited, cattle are honoured by bathing and flower garlands are offered to them as well.
For those staying at a serviced apartment Singapore, other festivals and cultural events include Hari Raya Haji and the Mid-Autumn Festival which can be witnessed. It should be noted that accommodation, especially luxury accommodation Singapore tend to be booked fairly early and if you are searching for a hotel the calibre of Somerset Bencoolen Singapore, reservations should be early to avoid disappointment.

Thanuja Silva is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Auburn Silver. She has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world. Google+

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