SG Holidays, Festivals & Events Calendar
Destinations, Travel tips, Festivals and Public Holidays
Chichibu Yomatsuri 2011, Largest Float Festivals in Japan
Dec 22nd
Chichibu Yomatsuri, Japanese words for Chichibu’s Night Festival, is one of the three largest float festivals in Japan held for two days in December every year. The festival begins on December 2nd in the evening and lasts on the night of December 3rd in Chichibu shrines, Chichibu city in Saitama Prefecture. Japanese people celebrate Chichibu Yomatsuri to respect 6 kamis (deities) guarded the town, so during the celebration of the festival, 6 floats representing the 6 deities are made and decorated with carvings, flowers, and hundreds lantern before lifted around the shrine. More >
Yuan Xiao Jie: The Chinese Lantern Festival
Dec 20th
The Lantern Festival, also called Yuan Xiao Jie, Shangyuan, Yuen Siu Festival, and Chap Go Meh, is a festival to celebrate the first full moon after the Chinese New Year. Chinese people all over the world celebrate this festival by gathering around and holding feast with family. The Lantern Festival is also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day because lovers usually show their affection to each other in this full moon. The festival got its name – Lantern Festival – from the tradition of Chinese people to set out a big number of red-glowing lanterns along the street. The upcoming Chinese Lantern Festival 2012 is going to be held on February 6, 2012. More >
Night of Radishes Festival 2011, Mexico
Dec 18th
Night of Radishes or Noche de Rabanos is a unique festival in Oaxaca, Mexico, held in December 23rd every year. People in Oaxaca, Mexico, has a tradition of making sculptures and carvings from radishes to celebrate the festival. Just like pumpkin as the symbol of Halloween festival, radishes are known as the symbol of Christmas in Mexico seeing that the festival is in fact held to greet the Christmas Day. Night of Radishes is the most awaited festival for people living inside and outside Oaxaca. More >
Tokyo Disneyland – Theme Park of Wonders in Tokyo
Dec 11th
Spending holiday in Tokyo is not enough before visiting Tokyo Disneyland, a huge theme park in Tokyo designed in a wonderful setting of Disneyland. Tokyo Disneyland was the first theme park of Disney that was built outside the USA. It is stated as the world most-visited theme park in 2009 with the amount of visitors reach up to 13 million. With its seven themed-areas, Tokyo Disneyland can be enjoyed by people in every age, not only the kids or teens. More >
Boxing Day 2011
Dec 8th
In some commonwealth countries, Boxing Day is widely known as a holiday given for one or two days after Christmas. A few countries named the Boxing Day differently, for example, Ireland call it as St. Stephen’s Day while South Africa once called it as Day of the Goodwill before called it back as the Boxing Day in 1994. Nobody really knows why the holiday after Christmas Day was called as the Boxing Day, though some guessed that the names was derived from the folk etymology that ‘boxing’ has something to do with the sport. That’s why, some people celebrate Boxing Day by holding some kind of sports events. More >
Waikiki Beach – One of the Best Surfing Spots in the World
Dec 6th
Waikiki beach, Hawaii, can be the best place to spend the holidays for those who enjoy the beach atmosphere. It is widely known as the great surfing places, so it is just like heaven for the surfers. Many surf schools are available around the beach, and the teachers of surfing are ready to teach even an old woman to surf. Some kinds of surfing competition are regularly held in the beach so that surfers all over the world come there to join. However, Waikiki beach is not only about surfing. Its location which is far away from the crowd in the city makes it perfect for relaxing, swimming, or lying on the sand. With about 23 until 28 degrees Celsius of temperature, Waikiki beach is an ideal place to do everything or nothing at all. More >
Experience the Old Chinese Traditions and Festivals in Singapore Chinatown
Dec 2nd
One place which is worth to visit in Singapore is Chinatown, the oldest ethnic district in Singapore. Here, the old Chinese traditions and festivals can still be found as if the time stops moving. Chinatown is also famous for its food, street market, heritage center, museum, and handicraft center. That’s why tourists all over the world put Chinatown as the first destination at the moment they arrive in Singapore. More >
Vacation Tips to Niagara Falls
Dec 1st
Niagara Falls, one of the most visited tourism sites in USA, is very famous as it is the most powerful waterfalls in USA. The great volume of the waterfalls comes from Niagara River flowing from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. Millions of tourists come to visit these falls each year for different purposes. Some of them even come to Niagara Falls purposefully to get married because of several good superstitions about couples getting married around the falls. More >
Back To The Past in Colosseum, Rome
Nov 30th
One ancient building and one of many must-visited places in Rome is the Colosseum. Colosseum was built in 72AD and finished eight years later in 80AD. It is located precisely in the center of Rome, the Capital City of Italy. The Colosseum, formerly called the Flavian Ampitheatre, is a magnificent elliptical building with about 189 meters long, 156 meters wide, and 48 meters height. The largest building ever built by the Roman Empire, that’s what people in Rome believe about Colosseum and why people from different countries come to visit it. More >
Eid-ul-Fitr Festival – The Biggest Muslim Festival
Nov 29th
Eid-ul-Fitr is the biggest festival for the Muslims all over the world. It is celebrated on Syawal 1 by using the Hijra calendar, after 29 or 30 days fasting in Ramadan month. The determination of the date when Eid-ul-Fitr comes depends on the moon sighting. If the moon is already sighted, it means the new month begins, and the Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated. Muslim people believe that if they do a month of fasting before the Eid-ul-Fitr day, the sins they have made a year before are erased in the Eid-ul-Fitr day. More >
