Destinations, Travel tips, Festivals and Public Holidays
Places Near Singapore
Introducing Batu Ferringhi
Jul 12th
Batu Ferringhi, situated along the coastal road north-west of Georgetown and lined with a string of five-star resorts, is the most popular beach in Penang, and probably the single most heavily developed stretch of tourist resorts in Malaysia.
The beach itself is quite good, thought not up there with Malaysia’s best and the water is not of the tropically clear variety you might expect. The beach is kept clean, even on weekends when hordes of day-trippers visit. While the scenery and the beaches have undeniably suffered under the assault of all that concrete, there are still miles of white sand and palm trees left.
Soak in the sun or unwind on the beach while you enjoy a host of aquatic thrills from wind-surfing to canoeing.
Watersports are on the agenda for many visitors, although the waters are a bit too murky for scuba diving and a bit too calm for surfing or more extreme pursuits. For a spine-tingling adventure, try parasailing to enjoy the view of the beach from the sky.
Bathing areas are often cordoned off by floating buoys to protect swimmers from speeding jet-skis and water-skiers.
Jellyfish, particularly at rainy times, can be a problem. Beware of that! If stung, apply vinegar and if you experience chest pain, consider seeing the doctor for something to combat the allergic reaction.
Sunbathe on the beach or enjoying the foot or body massage could be also a good idea to rest and relax.
As the sun sets, Batu Ferringhi comes alive with a carnival-like atmosphere with an open-air bazaar selling anything from ornate curios to enticing souvenir items. Watch local artisans demonstrate the intricate art of craft-making and batik-painting. Dubbed the Feringghi Walk, the Pasar Malam (or bazaar) offers shoppers a host of attractions.
Depending on your budgets, a number of souvenir shops, restaurants, bars and discos are also promising an unforgettable experiences. There’s some great food to be found too.
Accomodation:
Fierce competition has kept the hotel prices low as well. You can easily find a dozen or so international-standard joints, and many more down the grades. Batu Ferringhi has a several large resort, like Rasa Sayang, Golden Sands, Park Royal, Bayview etc. It looks like a new village, but it’s very old. It used to be a kampong with a little fishing village. If you want to see a part of this old village you have to turn right when you have passed the Park Royal. Here you’ll find the backpackers guesthouses of Ah Beng, Baba’s, and the best place, Ali’s, which has a relaxing open-air cafe and garden, and better rooms than the other ones. The guesthouses are facing the sea. Visit Penang Hotels for more information.
Getting around:
Taxis trawl up and down the windy roads of the north coast. Fares are negotiable but tourists will have a hard time getting anywhere for less than RM 15.
The main road runs more or less straight along the coast for 3km, on which all the hotels, tourist shop, internet cafe’s, motorcycle rental offices and restaurants (House of Kampong, Deep Sea or The Last Drop e.o.), are lined up side by side. In the centre you’ll find the Telekom office, post office, police station and clinic.
How to get there:
You can get to Batu Ferringhi by taxi, car or bus. It takes a thirty-minute bus ride west of Georgetown on Transitlink #202 or Transitlink air-con #93.
There is no bus straight from the airport (Bayan Lepas) to Batu Ferringhi. A taxi ride will cost you RM60.- You’ll have to buy a coupon for the taxi when leave the arrival hall after collecting your luggage.
Attractions:
Butterfly Farm : More than just a tourist attraction, it is set up as a ‘live museum’ to educate the public as well as a research centre to develop breeding methods. The farm houses about 4000 Malaysian butterflies of 120 different species, including most famouse in Malaysia the Rajah Brooke’s Bird wing of the Papilionidae family. The farm also exhibits dead-leaf mantis, orchid mantis and Trogonoptera.
Muka Head Lighthouse: is located at the northwestern cape of the Penang island, this impressive lighthouse serves as a beacon to sailors and ships in the region. The tower, while not as accessible as other structures on the island, offers spectacular ocean views. There is 2 ways to reach the site: taking boat from Teluk Bahang jetty or climb over the hills by foot.
Toy Museum: This is the latest attraction in Penang, located at in front of Copthrone Orchid Hotel. Rank as Asia’s first and World’s largest toy museum, the owner Ir Loh Lean Cheng spends his 30 years to collect over 100,000 toys, dolls, models and other fun collections. The vast collection includes characters from cartoons, comics, computer games, sports, movies, novels, shows and the music world. Dozens of amazingly realistic, life-size figures add to the Fun.
Tropical Fruit Farm: In this 25-acre tropical fruit farm, about 200 types of tropical and sub-tropical fruits are planted. Durian, the King of Fruits, despite their odour, are undeniably rich, sweet and creamy. There is a shuttle bus service that picking visitors from few hotels to the farm and vise versa.
Pulau Langkawi – The Island of Mystical Legends
Jul 12th
Malaysia’s best-known holiday destination, Langkawi, is Malaysia’s pride that has been designated as Southeast Asia’s first UNESCO Global Geopark. Its name alone summons up images of tropical romance and carefree days under swaying coconut palms.
In the Andaman Sea 30km off the coast from Kuala Perlis, this cluster of 99 islands is accessible by boat from Georgetown, Kuala Perlis, Kuala Kedah and Satun, Thailand, or by air from Georgetown in Penang, KL and Singapore. It offers beautiful beaches, world-class infrastructure, mangroves rich in flora and fauna, ultra-cheap duty-free shopping and fascinating myths and legends
Only the main island, Pulau Langkawi covering 478.5 sq kilometers, has any real settlement. With long, sandy beach, forest-clad hills and picturesque paddy-fields, it’s easy to see why this is Malaysia’s most promoted tourist hotspot. Ever since Langkawi was declared duty-free zone in 1986, the island has received even more visitors, many with the only intention of carting off cheap liquors. Sustainable tourism developments are ongoing, including the newly completed marina in Telaga Harbor Park. The main town, Kuah is mainly dominated by shopping complexes, while bays are occupied by luxury resorts.
Langkawi has a legend in its history. Ask anyone in Langkawi about the tragedy of Mahsuri, a beautiful young lady, and you will hear the story of love, jealousy and the curse placed on the island by her for seven generations. The seventh generation of Langkawi’s inhabitants has long come and gone, but people here still believe that the prosperity and blessings the islands enjoy today and the passing of the curse is not a pure coincidence. Mysticism of this legend can be felt in many parts of the island, especially at Makam Mahsuri (Mahsuri’s mausoleum) where the famous legendary figure was said to be buried.
Langkawi also hosts some major events including the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition around November, the Langkawi Arts and Crafts Festival (LACRAF) in December, the Langkawi International Water Festival in April and the biennial Langkawi International Festival of Arts (LIFA).
Langkawi is not only geared towards tourism. Many of the islanders are farmers, fishermen and entrepreneurs. Experience the beautiful countryside and the peaceful landscape of paddy fields by renting a car and taking a leisurely drive around the island. Some of Langkawi’s most rustic and memorable views are along the road that circles the island where you can enjoy some natural beauty. You’ll pass small Malay villages with wooden houses framed by palm trees, rice paddies, water buffaloes, and children pedalling their old bicycles on an errand. Aside from experiencing the local lifestyle, there is no shortage of things to do in Langkawi.
Some suggestions of What to do:
- Take the thrilling cable car to the summit of Mount Mat Cincang – Langkawi’s second highest mountain – for an unrivalled view of the entire Langkawi island
- Trekking through the pristine rainforest that blankets most of Langkawi
- Go diving. Langkawi has some of the most beautiful coral beaches in the world
- Play a round of golf at some of the 5-star resorts
Or take boat tours of the mangroves to
Tasik Dayang Bunting (Lake of the Pregnant Maiden)
Gua Cerita (Cave of Stories)
Gua Langsir (Curtain Cave)
Other attractions:
Field of Burnt Rice
Hot Springs
Telaga Tujuh (The Seven Wells)
Beach of Black Sand
Langkawi Underwater World
For perfect match of beautiful scenery, great adventures and five-star conveniences, Langkawi is the place to go.
Airlines Departing from And Arriving at Changi Airport Terminal Two (T2)
Jun 28th
Here is list of airlines with Departures and Arrivals at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal Two (T2), their IATA code (flight code), ICAO code(airline code), as well as their their base country and destination cities.
Air India operated by Indian Airlines (AI/AIC)
Home Country: India
Destination Cities: Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai
Air India Express (IX/AXB)
Home Country: India
Destination Cities: Chennai, Kolkata, Tiruchirapalli
All Nippon Airways (NH/ANA)
Home Country: Japan
Destination Cities: Tokyo-Narita
Asiana Airlines (OZ/AAR)
Home Country: South Korea
Destination Cities: Seoul-Incheon
Etihad Airways (EY/ETD)
Home Country: UAE – United Arab Emirates
Destination Cities: Abu Dhabi, Brisbane
Indian Airlines (IC/IAC)
Home Country: India
Destination Cities: Chennai
Korean Air (KE/KAL)
Home Country: South Korea
Destination Cities: Seoul-Incheon
Lufthansa (LH/DLH)
Home Country: Germany
Destination Cities: Frankfurt, Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Munich
Malaysia Airlines (MH/MAS)
Home Country: Malaysia
Destination Cities: Christmas Island [operated for Australian Indian Ocean Territories Airlines], Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Langkawi, Penang
Philippine Airlines (PR/PAL)
Home Country: Philippine
Destination Cities: Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Manila
Royal Brunei Airlines (BI/RBA)
Home Country: Brunei Darussalam
Destination Cities: Bandar Seri Begawan
Shenzhen Airlines (ZH/CSZ)
Home Country: China
Destination Cities: Nanning
SilkAir (MI/SLK)
Home Country: Singapore
Destination Cities: Balikpapan, Cebu, Chengdu, Chiang Mai, Chongqing, Coimbatore, Da Nang, Davao, Dili [operated for AustAsia Airlines], Hyderabad, Kaohsiung, Kathmandu, Kochi, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Kunming, Langkawi, Manado, Mataram, Medan, Palembang, Penang, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Shenzhen, Siem Reap, Solo, Surabaya, Thiruvananthapuram, Xiamen, Yangon
Singapore Airlines (SQ/SIA)
Home Country: Singapore
Destination Cities: Abu Dhabi, Ahmedabad, Bandar Seri Begawan, Bangalore, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Cairo, Cape Town, Chennai, Colombo, Denpasar/Bali, Delhi, Dhaka, Dubai, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Houston-Intercontinental, Istanbul-Atatürk, Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Jeddah, Johannesburg, Karachi, Kolkata, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Lahore, Malé, Manila, Moscow-Domodedovo, Mumbai, Penang, Riyadh, Tokyo-Narita
Sriwijaya Air (SJ/SJY)
Home Country: Indonesia
Destination Cities: Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta
Airlines Departing from And Arriving at Changi Airport Terminal 1
Jun 28th
Here is list of airlines with Departures and Arrivals at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal One, their IATA code (flight code), ICAO code(airline code), as well as their their base country and destination cities.
Air China (China) CA/CCA – Beijing-Capital, Chengdu, Xiamen
Air France (France) AF/AFR – Paris-Charles de Gaulle
Air Mauritius (Mauritius) MK/MAU – Kuala Lumpur, Mauritius
Air Niugini (Papua New Guinea) PX/ANG – Port Moresby
Air Seychelles (Seychelles) HM/SEY – Mahe
Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe) UM/AZW – Beijing-Capital, Harare
AirAsia (Malaysia) AK/AXM – Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Langkawi, Penang
Bangkok Airways (Thailand) PG/BKP – Koh Samui
Biman Bangladesh Airlines (Bangladesh) BG/BBC – Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Dhaka
British Airways (UK – United Kingdom) BA/BAW – London-Heathrow, Sydney
Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong) CX/CPA – Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Colombo, Hong Kong
China Airlines (Taiwan) CI/CAL – Kaohsiung, Surabaya, Taipei-Taoyuan
China Southern Airlines (China) CZ/CSN – Guangzhou, Shenyang
Emirates Airline (UAE – United Arab Emirates) EK/UAE – Brisbane, Colombo, Dubai, Melbourne
EVA Air (Taiwan) BR/EVA – Taipei-Taoyuan
Garuda Indonesia (Indonesia) GA/GIA – Beijing-Capital, Denpasar/Bali, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Medan, Pekanbaru, Semarang, Shanghai-Pudong, Surabaya, Yogyakarta
Indonesia AirAsia (Indonesia) QZ/AWQ – Bandung, Denpasar/Bali, Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Pekanbaru, Surabaya [begins August 16], Yogyakarta
Japan Airlines (Japan) JL/JAL – Kuala Lumpur, Osaka-Kansai, Tokyo-Narita
Jetstar Airways (Australia) JQ/JST – Cairns, Darwin, Perth, Melbourne
Jetstar Asia Airways (Singapore) 3K/JSA – Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Macau, Manila, Phnom Penh, Penang [begins 1 July], Siem Reap, Taipei-Taoyuan, Yangon
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Netherland / Holland) KL/KLM – Amsterdam
Lion Air (Indonesia) JT/LNI – Denpasar/Bali, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta
Northwest Airlines (USA – United States of America) NW/NWA – Tokyo-Narita
Qantas Airways (Australia) QF/QFA – Adelaide, Brisbane, Frankfurt, London-Heathrow, Melbourne, Mumbai, Perth, Sydney
Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudi Arabia) SV/SVA – Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Jeddah, Riyadh
SriLankan Airlines (Sri Lanka) UL/ALK – Colombo, Kuala Lumpur
Thai AirAsia (Thailand) FD/AIQ – Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Phuket
Thai Airways International (Thailand) TG/THA – Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi
Turkish Airlines (Turkey) TK/THY – Istanbul-Atatürk
Valuair (Singapore) VF/VLU – Denpasar/Bali, Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Medan, Surabaya
Vietnam Airlines (Vietnam) VN/HVN – Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
Xiamen Airlines (China) MF/CXA – Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Tianjin, Xiamen
List of Public Holidays Calendar Year 2010
Jun 25th
Here are some public holidays calendar that we manage to compile. Hope that it can be useful to you. Please note that we cannot guarantee accuracy of any of the calendar.
Kindly let us know when you find any error or inaccuracy.
List of Public Holidays / Government Holidays / National Holidays / Bank Holidays Calendar For Year 2010
Singapore Public Holidays 2010
http://sgholiday.com/calendar/mom-singapore-public-holidays-for-the-year-2010/
China Public Holidays 2010
http://sgholiday.com/calendar/china-public-sector-nationall-holiday-for-calendar-year-2010/
Indonesia Public Holidays 2010
http://sgholiday.com/calendar/indonesia-national-public-holidays-year-2010-calendar/
India Public Holidays 2010
http://sgholiday.com/calendar/india-public-holidays-2010-calendar/
Brazil Public Holidays 2010
http://sgholiday.com/calendar/brazil-national-public-holidays-2010-calendar-year/
Indonesia National Government/Public Holidays Calendar Year 2009
Jun 23rd
The following table indicates declared Indonesian government national holidays for year 2009 only – cultural variants also provide opportunity for holidays tied to local events. Beside official holiday, there are the so-called “libur bersama” or “cuti bersama”, or joint holiday(s) declared nationwide by the government. Please notice that there are two Islamic New Year in 2009 because Islamic Calendar 10-11 days shorter than Gregorian version. In total there are 14 public holidays, and 9 “cuti bersama” or joint holidays.
2009 Indonesia National Public Holidays
| Date | English Name | Local Name | Remarks |
| 1 January 2009 | New Year’s Day | Tahun Baru Masehi | |
| 26 January 2009 | Chinese New Year | Tahun Baru Imlek | 1st day of 1st month of Chinese Calendar |
| 9 March 2009 | Mouloud / Birth of the Prophet | Maulid Nabi Muhammad | Birthday of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad |
| 26 March 2009 | Day of Silence | Hari Raya Nyepi (Tahun Baru Saka) | New Year of Balinese Calendar |
| 10 April 2009 | Good Friday | Wafat Isa Al-Masih (Jumat Agung) | Date varies; this is the Friday before Easter Sunday, which is the first Sunday after the first Paschal Full Moon following the official vernal equinox |
| 8 May 2009 | Vesak Day / Buddha’s Birthday | Waisak | Date varies according to the Buddhist calendar |
| 21 May 2009 | Ascension Day | Kenaikan Isa Al-Masih | |
| 20 July 2009 | Ascension of the Prophet | Lailat al Miraj | |
| 17 August 2009 | Independence Day | Hari Proklamasi Kemerdekaan R.I. | |
| 21 September 2009 | Eid al-Fitr / End of Ramadan | Idul Fitri (Lebaran) | Date varies according to the Islamic calendar |
| 28 November 2009 | Eid al-Adha / Feast of the Sacrifice | Idul Adha | Date varies according to the Islamic calendar |
| 18 December 2009 | Islamic New Year | Tahun Baru 1430 Hijriyah | 1st day of the Muharram, the beginning of the new Islamic year |
| 25 December 2009 | Christmas Day | Hari Natal |
Here is the official announcement
KEPUTUSAN BERSAMA MENTERI AGAMA, MENTERI TENAGA KERJA DAN TRANSMIGRASI, DAN MENTERI NEGARA PENDAYAGUNAAN APARATUR
NEGARA REPUBLIK INDONESIA
NOMOR : 4 TAHUN 2008NOMOR : KEP. 115/ MEN/VI/2008NOMOR : SKB/06/M. PAN/6/2008 TENTANG HARI-HARI LIBUR NASIONAL DAN CUTI BERSAMA TAHUN 2009
DENGAN RAHMAT TUHAN YANG MAHA ESA
MENTERI AGAMA, MENTERI TENAGA KERJA DAN TRANSMIGRASI, DAN
MENTERI NEGARA PENDAYAGUNAAN APARATUR NEGARA
Menimbang :
a. bahwa dalam rangka efisiensi dan efektivitas pemanfaatan hari-hari kerja, hari-hari libur, dan cuti bersama
dipandang perlu menata pelaksanaan hari-hari libur nasional dan mengatur cuti bersama tahun 2009;
b. bahwa penataan hari-hari libur dan pengaturan cuti bersama tahun 2009 sebagaimana tersebut pada huruf a diharapkan menjadi pedoman bagi instansi pemerintah dan swasta sehingga dapat meningkatkan efektivitas dan produktivitas kerja;
c. bahwa berdasarkan pertimbangan sebagaimana dimaksud pada huruf a dan huruf b di atas, perlu ditetapkan Keputusan Bersama Menteri Agama, Menteri Tenaga Kerja dan Transmigrasi, dan Menteri Negara Pendayagunaan Aparatur Negara tentang Hari-hari Libur Nasional dan Cuti Bersama Tahun 2009.Mengingat :
1. Keputusan Presiden Nomor 3 Tahun 1983 tentang Perubahan Atas Keputusan Presiden Nomor 251 Tahun 1967 tentang Hari-hari Libur sebagaimana telah beberapa kali diubah terakhir dengan Keputusan Presiden RI Nomor 10 Tahun 1971;
2. Keputusan Presiden RI Nomor 19 Tahun 2002 tentang Hari Tahun Baru Imlek;
3. Peraturan Presiden RI Nomor 9 Tahun 2005 tentang Kedudukan, Tugas, Fungsi, Susunan Organisasi dan Tata Kerja Kernenterian Negara Republik Indonesia sebagaimana telah beberapa kali diubah terakhir dengan Peraturan Presiden Republik Indonesia Nomor 94 Tahun 2006;
4. Keputusan Menteri Agama RI Nomor 331 Tahun 2002 tentang Penetapan Hari Tahun Baru Imlek sebagai Hari Libur Nasional.
MEMUTUSKAN:
Menetapkan : KEPUTUSAN BERSAMA MENTERI AGAMA, MENTERI TENAGA KERJA DAN TRANSMIGRASI, DAN MENTERI NEGARA PENDAYAGUNAAN APARATUR NEGARA TENTANG HARI-HARI LIBUR NASIONAL DAN CUTI BERSAMA TAHUN 2009.
Kesatu : Menetapkan Hari-hari Libur Nasional dan Cuti Bersama Tahun 2009 sebagaimana tersebut dalam lampiran Keputusan ini.
Kedua : Untuk kepentingan pelaksanaan ibadah Had Raya Idul Fitri dan Hari Raya I’dui Adha bagi umat Islam, maka tanggal 1 Ramadhan 1430 H, 1 Syawal 1430 H, dan 10 Dzulhijjah 1430 H ditetapkan kemudian dengan Keputusan Kenteri Agama
Ketiga : Unit kerja/satuan organisasi yang berfungsi memberikan pelayanan langsung kepada masyarakat di tingkat Pusat dan Daerah yang mencakup kepentingan masyarakat luas, seperti: rumah sakit/puskesmas, unit kerja yang memberikan pelayanan telekomunikasi, listrik, air minum, pemadam kebakaran, keamanan dan ketertiban, perbankan, perhubungan, pajak, bea cukai, dan unit kerja pelayanan lainnya yang sejenis agar mengatur penugasan pegawai dan pekerja/buruh pada hari – hari libur nasional dan cuti bersama yang ditetapkan, sesuai dengan peraturan perundang-undangan.
Keempat : Pelaksanaan cuti bersama sebagaimana dimaksud pada Diktum Kesatu mengurangi hak cuti tahunan pegawai sesuai dengan peraturan perundang-undangan dan ketentuan yang berlaku pada masing-masing instansi/lembaga/perusahaan
Kelima : Pelaksanaan cuti bersama di kalangan dunia usaha sebagaimana dimaksud pada Diktum Kesatu diatur oleh lembaga atau perusahaan yang bersangkutan
Keenam : Keputusan ini mulai berlaku pada tanggal ditetapkan.
Ditetapkan di : Jakarta
pada tanggal : 9 Juni 2008
LAMPIRAN KEPUTUSAN BERSAMAMENTERI AGAMA, MENTERI TENAGA KERJA DAN TRANSMIGRASI,DAN MENTERI NEGARA PENDAYAGUNAAN APARATUR NEGARAREPUBLIK INDONESIANOMOR : 4 TAHUN 2008NOMOR : KEP.115/MENNI/2008NOMOR : SKB/06/M.PAN/6/2008TENTANGHARI-HARI LIBUR NASIONAL DAN CUTI BERSAMA TAHUN 2009
A. HARI LIBUR TAHUN 2009
- 1 Januari, Kamis, Tahun Baru Masehi
- 6 Januari, Senin, Tahun Baru Imlek 2560
- 9 Maret, Senin, Maulid Nabi Muhammad SAW
- 26 Maret, Kamis, Hari Raya Nyepi Tahun Baru Saka 1931
- 10 April, Jum’at, Wafat Yesus Kristus
- 9 Mei, Sabtu, Hari Raya Waisak Tahun 2553
- 1 Mei, Kamis Kenaikan Yesus Kristus
- 2 Juli, Senin Isra’ Mi’raj Nabi Muhammad SAW
- 17 Agustus, Senin, Hari Kemerdekaan RI
- 21-22 September, Senin-Selasa, Idul Fitri 1 Syawal 1430 Hijriyah
- 27 November, Jum’at, Idul Adha 1430 Hijriyah
- 18 Desember, Jum’at, Tahun Baru 1431 Hijriyah
- 25 Desember, Jum’at, Hari Raya Natal
B. CUTI BERSAMA TAHUN 2009
2 Januari, Jum’at, Cuti Bersama Tahun Baru Masehi
18 September, Jum’at, Cuti Bersama Idul Fitri
23 September, Rabu, Cuti Bersama Idul Fitri
24 Desember, Kamis, Cuti Bersama Natal
Ditetapkan di : Jakarta
pada tanggal : 9 Juni 2008
Hari Raya Puasa Holiday 2011
Jun 18th
Tuesday, 30 August 2011 is a Ministry of Manpower (MoM) public holiday in Singapore Calendar. The holiday is to celebrate the Muslim and Malay Hari Raya Aidilfitri Holiday. In Hijriah (Islamic Date) calendar, it falls on 1 Syawal 1431.
Hari Raya Aidilfitri (also known as Hari Raya Lebaran, Hari Raya Idul Fitri, and Hari Raya Puasa, literally “Celebration Day of Fasting”) is the Malay term for the Muslim festival of Eid ul-Fitr or Id-ul-Fitr.
It is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan 2011 / Ramadhan 2011, the Islamic holy month of “Puasa” (fasting). The holiday symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period. It is celebrated starting on the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal / Syawal.
Muslims in Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia celebrate Eid like other Muslims throughout the world. The term “Hari Raya” literally means “Day of Celebration” — it is also occasionally used to refer to Eid ul-Adha in the form of “Hari Raya Aidiladha” or “Hari Raya Idul Adha”.
On this day, Muslims all over the world offer a special prayer in the morning and later visit their relatives and friends. The young will seek forgiveness from elders for their past misconduct.
In Singapore, the first day of the Hari Raya is celebrated as a public holiday, where civil servants and private sector workers alike are mostly not required to work.
In Indonesia and Malaysia, it is a long holiday period, with some companies are not working for as long as 2 weeks.
The main greeting used by Muslims in Singapore and Malaysia is “Selamat Hari Raya” which means “Happy Eid” in Malay. Another greeting is “Maaf Zahir dan Batin” which translates loosely to “I seek forgiveness (from you) physically and spiritually”, for Hari Raya is a time to reconcile and renew relationships with others.
In Indonesia, the more commonly used greetings are “selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri”, “Selamat Lebaran”, and “Maaf Lahir dan Batin”.
During the Muslim month of Ramadan leading up to Hari Raya, it is mandatory for Muslims to fast from dawn to dusk. All Muslims except the young, old or infirm must fast. Many Muslims also abstain from pleasures such as smoking cigarettes and sexual activities during the daylight of the fasting month.
Widely, markets, or ‘Ramadan bazaars’ are held in many areas around the country, where all sorts of food and kuih — traditional Malay delicacies — are sold for breaking fast or buka puasa. Hotels and restaurants have also exploited this situation to offer exorbitant Ramadan buffets.
The main attraction place to observe the Hari Raya and the preparations prior to festival is best observed at Kampong Glam and Geylang Serai, a bustling outdoor market and the Hari Raya Light-Up, as well as various Mosque around Singapore.
Happy Hari Raya Puasa 2011
See also:
Hari Raya Puasa 2011
Hari Raya Puasa 2012
Buddhist Vesak Day
Jun 17th
Vesak day is celebrated by Buddhist around the world, and in different manners all over the world. Though some countries occasionally use different date for this festival, most would fall on this same day.
Vesak is an annual public holiday observed traditionally by practicing Buddhists in South Asian and South East Asian countries like Nepal, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Indonesia, Pakistan and India. Sometimes informally called “Buddha’s birthday,” it actually encompasses the birth, enlightenment Nirvana, and passing (Parinirvana) of Gautama Buddha.
The Vesak Day is an extremely important occasion observed in Buddhism. Huge crowds will usually assemble at various Buddhist temples around the city. Inside the Buddha temples the monks chant sacred hymns and a large number of devotees set caged-birds free. Setting the imprisoned birds free is considered as a graceful gesture which serves as a mark of respect to all living creatures in the world. On this day, the Buddhist youths organize blood donation camps and distribute gifts to the poor people. During the evenings, candlelit processions are found walking across the streets of the city and this is how the festival is ended.
Date Of Vesak Day
Vesak Day Year 2010 falls on Friday, 28 May 2010.
Vesak Day 2012 falls on Saturday, 5 May 2012
Vesak Day in Singapore
The entry to observe the Vesak Day festival is free of cost as people can enter the temples free of cost. Some of the best points in the city for observing the festivities of Vesak Day in Singapore are the Buddhist Lodge at River Valley Road, The Thai Buddhist Temple at Jalan Bukit Merah and Lian Shan Shuang Lin Temple at Jalan Toa Payoh.
The Singapore Vesak Day is always celebrated in the month of May and is a yearly event.
Happy Vesak Day !
