Chinese New Year is a public holiday in Singapore and is next celebrated on the 5 and 6 of February 2019. This is one of the most culturally significant holiday in Singapore and is commonly referred to as the Lunar New Year Festival or the Spring Festival. The full celebrations typically last for two weeks. The Spring Festival usually begins with a family reunion steamboat dinner on the eve of the Lunar New Year Festival. In 2019, the Chinese New Year Festival is the start of the Year of the Pig.
No. 1: Chingay Parade
Held annually on the 8th day of the Lunar New Year, The Chingay Parade, is a popular street parade which is celebrated with a carnival like vibe and features large floats which represents the different clans of Chinese in Singapore. Traditional icons like the 12 Chinese Zodiacs are commonly on display and are known to be bearers of good luck, particularly to those born in the corresponding zodiac year. Travellers have been known to be drawn to the Chinese God of Fortune as a meeting with Him brings lots of wealth and fortune on their travels.
Chingay Parade 2019
15-16 February 2019 at the F1 Pit Building
No. 2: River Hongbao
Taking place annually on the floating platform at Marina Bay, the River Hong Bao is known to locals as a traditional Chinese New Year Celebration and is commonly visited by traditional Chinese families who wish to enjoy wealth and good fortune in the new year. This annual celebration has been running since 1986 and has been hosted in collaboration with the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Association. The word “Hongbao” refers to red packets of money which is given out to children and unmarried adults from their elders during the Chinese New Year that is meant to bring them wealth and happiness in the year ahead. In recent years, the celebration has gained popularity due to the acrobatic performances and nightly fireworks and laser displays, so don’t miss out on it!
River Hongbao 2019
Open from the 3rd of February to 10 February 2019
Address: The Float @ Marina Bay
No. 3: Have a Steamboat Dinner with your family at LongQing HotPot
The hotpot culture is strong throughout the year in Singapore, but the Lunar New Year Festival is the best time of the year to have a steamboat dinner with your family to celebrate the togetherness of kinship. LongQing Hotpot is a locally grown F&B establishment that does not use MSG in their soups and chooses instead to rely on long slow cooking to bring out the best flavours in their broth which form the base of the hotpot meal. The two most popular soup bases that you have to try is the Mala soup (spicy Szechuan peppercorn known for a spicy and tongue numbing sensation) and the Chinese mushroom soup (stewed with premium mushrooms, cordyceps herbs and a secret blend of other traditional Chinese herbs). We’d recommend you pick one of the hotpot sets which start at $55 for two as this will give you a wide variety of dishes to cook in the hotpot soup. Leave enough space for dessert and pick the fried Taro balls, which is a modern interpretation of Orh Ni, a popular Teochew dessert made from mashed Taro paste.
LongQing Hotpot
Address: 18 HongKong Street, Singapore 059661
No. 4: Eat a traditional Chinese New Year Dinner at the award-winning Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel
Dine at Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant and be treated to a special bespoke lunch / dinner set that is specially created by Executive Chef Brian Wong. His Chinese New Years meals have a strong cultural significance as the ingredients he chooses are important to Chinese families due to their special meaning. These include popular ingredients like Abalone (gold), Eggs (a large & healthy family), Lobsters (endless wealth), Shrimp (good fortune), Roasted Pork (peace), Roasted Duck (loyalty), Tofu (happiness) and Fish (abundance).
Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel
Address: 320 Orchard Road, Singapore 238865
No. 5: Chinatown Light Up
Held annually at Singapore’s Chinatown, there’s a whole host of cultural & heritage activities that take place throughout the Lunar New Year to celebrate the start of the New Year for the Chinese in Singapore. The celebrations gather together people from all walks of life and every corner of Singapore in a festival like atmosphere. The light up and special opening ceremony will culminate in a special display of firecrackers and fireworks on the stroke of midnight on the first day of the Lunar New Year Celebrations, which marks the start of the Spring Festival. The Chinatown Chinese New Year Celebrations 2019 promises to bring together the best of local Lion Dance and Dragon Dance troupes alongside popular local celebrities, singers and actors who will be performing to usher in the Year of the Pig 2019.
Chinatown Light Up and Chinese New Year Countdown Celebrations 2019
Address: New Bridge Road, South Bridge Road, Garden Bridge and Eu Tong Sen Street
