Christmas in Singapore

The holiday season in Singapore is never boring. Locals and tourists can skate on ice rinks, shop at Christmas fairs, attend concerts, visit amusement parks, and walk around the town, appreciating decorations.

The focus of Christmas in Singapore is shifted towards entertainment rather than religion, but like most Christians, many Singaporeans attend the Midnight Mass and set up nativity scenes.

Singapore at Christmas time transforms into a real-life winter wonderland and is worth visiting even for non-Christians.

Christmas Decorations

Decorations are one of the main reasons for visiting Singapore for Christmas. Apart from traditional garlands, Advent wreaths, and baubles, Singapore boasts some of the most creative decorations worldwide.

Giant Bearbrick displays with candy canes, Christmas trees, and a large golden rocket surrounding a 19-foot bear in Raffles City is one of the most picture-worthy spots in Singapore.

Fairytale exhibits at Gardens by the Bay is a real-life winter wonderland where locals and tourists can walk through a star alley, take pictures near a colossal illuminated castle, and sit in Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage made from fairy lights.

Orchard Road presents dazzling Christmas light displays and projections tied with a new theme every year. Capitol Singapore & CHIJMES transform their outdoor plaza into an Arctic village with igloos and artificial snow.

Visitors of the Changi Airport can witness a fantastic tropical-themed Christmas light show and experience an artificial snowfall.

Christmas Food

Many Singaporeans prefer to eat out on Christmas, which isn’t surprising given how many fancy restaurants the country has to offer. Roast turkey served with potatoes is the most conventional choice.

However, there’s no such thing as a traditional Singaporean Christmas dinner. Local restaurants offer dining options for any preference – British-themed, American, Spanish, Japanese, you name it.

Singapore is a multicultural country, so at Christmas, everyone can feel at home when eating their favorite childhood foods. Finding glazed ham, roast pork, Christmas pudding, Yule log cake, or eggnog in local restaurants isn’t a problem.

Traditional Singaporean dishes are also very popular, such as chili crab in semi-thick gravy, rice noodles in spiced coconut curry with fish and shrimp, and white noodles with bean sprouts, clams, and Chinese sausage.

Stir-fry lovers will appreciate Hokkien noodles with slices of pork, prawns, squid, vinegar, chili, and soy sauce, served in the best Singaporean restaurants year-round. Barbecue stingray served with hawker stalls is another must-try.

Apart from Christmas pudding and Yule log cake, popular Singaporean Christmas desserts include sticky date pudding, gingerbread cookies, tiramisu, Italian-style panettone, Pavlova, and banoffee pie.

Some locals prefer to indulge in Japanese Christmas cake with whipped cream and strawberries or black forest cake with cherries and chocolate.

Mulled wine and eggnog are commonly sold at Singaporean Christmas markets and served in bars, but they aren’t as popular as in Europe or the U.S. because of the climate.

Many locals prefer the Singaporean sling cocktail with gin, Benedictine, Grand Marnier, Heering cherry liqueur, pineapple juice, lime, and Angostura bitters to anything else.

Non-alcoholic Christmas drink selection includes sugarcane juice, bubble tea, soda, hot chocolate, Bandung (milk and rose syrup shake), and coffee.

Gift Exchange

Gift exchange is integral to Singaporean Christmas traditions. If Singaporeans celebrate Christmas in a family circle, they only get gifts for immediate family.

But if they celebrate in a large group, everyone should get at least a small gift according to etiquette.

Many offices in Singapore hold the Secret Santa gift exchange where employees write their names on pieces of paper and throw them into a sack. Then, everyone draws one name and must buy a gift for that person.

On the last day of work before the holidays, Singaporeans must leave the gift for the recipient while remaining unnoticed, and the person should guess who their Secret Santa is.

However, outside of the Secret Santa game, gift exchange among colleagues in Singapore is uncommon and may even be seen as inappropriate.

Local children always anticipate gifts from Santa Claus, usually either gadgets, toys, clothes, or art supplies.

Santa Claus in Singapore is just like Santa from Coca-Cola Christmas campaigns – he has a long white beard, plump cheeks, and a jolly smile.

Singaporean kids can meet Santa in shopping malls, amusement parks, and Christmas markets. We don’t know how he manages to be everywhere at the same time, but let’s leave it his secret.

Midnight Mass

The church attendance rate for Christmas in Singapore isn’t particularly high. Still, the most devoted Christians attend local churches to celebrate the birth of Jesus like anywhere else in the world.

Singaporean Christmas church services involve reading passages from the scripture, singing hymns, and praying. Some churches organize nativity plays where children perform the story of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and Jesus’ birth.

The most attended Midnight Masses in Singapore are in the Catholic Church of St. Ignatius, Church of St. Bernadette, Church of the Holy Family, St. George’s Church, and St. Andrew’s Cathedral.

Many locals watch the Midnight Mass online while enjoying the traditional feast with the family instead of going out.

Shopping

As soon as the holiday season commences in late November, Singaporeans begin searching for new Christmas decorations, gifts for their loved ones, and festive attires.

Furthermore, shopping is a fun activity for a group of friends or family, even if you aren’t a big spender. Singapore’s shopping malls present wonderful Christmas displays and welcome children to meet Santa.

Famous Christmas songs help everyone feel the holiday cheer and ward off the exhaustion that usually comes after a few hours of shopping. However, for a truly magical experience, Singaporeans shop at local Christmas markets rather than malls.

Christmas markets in Singapore bear a resemblance to European markets but don’t usually last throughout the entire December. They pop up in late December and last for several days, so they’re always crowded as everyone rushes to shop for Christmas.

For example, a three-day Host Up Christmas fair offers visitors a variety of Christmas trinkets from popular brands like House of Happy and Lush Platters.

Tabitha Foundation Pop-up Fair is a non-profit event dedicated to helping disadvantaged women in Cambodia, selling ceramics, hand-painted porcelain, and jewelry.

The Christmas Farmers Market brings together a curated selection of local foods, candles, and other natural products. Universal Studios Singapore Festive Market offers a variety of handcrafted gifts and decorations in cozy wooden stalls.

Because Singapore is a country of technological advancement, some Christmas markets go online, promoting arts and crafts made by people with disabilities who can’t sell their goods in person.

Events & Themed Parks

Christmas in Singapore is pretty commercialized because under 20% of the country’s population identify as Christians.

Religious people attend church services and observe other Christian customs, but many locals perceive Christmas merely as a cultural holiday.

For this reason, Singapore has plenty of Christmas entertainments for every preference, age, and budget that are amusing even for non-Christians. For example, the Singapore Museum of Ice Cream hosts a “Pinkmas” event.

As you may have guessed, everything in the museum turns pink, including Christmas trees and Santa hats. Museum visitors can try delicious holiday treats and unusual ice cream flavors and participate in other joyful activities.

Kids will appreciate a White Christmas at Pororo Park, where they can meet Santa Claus, receive free gifts (free for the parents, of course – for kids, they’re always free!), take pictures, try treats, and ride merry-go-rounds.

The annual Christmas Eve Countdown Party at Orchard Road is among the most anticipated Singapore Christmas events, where locals and tourists can dance, listen to local bands, indulge in holiday foods, and be merry.

Christmas village in Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza is the perfect destination for adrenaline lovers – park visitors can choose from dozens of amusement rides.

Those preferring calmer activities can shop at a European-style Christmas market, listen to live music, take pictures with Santa, and fill their stomachs with plenty of traditional foods.

Christmas Wonderland in Gardens by the Bay is among the most magical places to visit in Singapore for Christmas.

The park presents captivating light shows, colossal illuminated structures, carnival rides, an ice skating rink, and an Arctic-themed Santa Claus grotto.

Poinsettia Wishes at Flower Dome allows visitors to experience a Nordic Noel, replicating a traditional Santa’s village in Northern Europe.

Towering coniferous trees adorned with baubles, colorful poinsettias, and a story-telling session by Finnish elves create the festive atmosphere.

Sealife enthusiasts can visit the Merry Fishmas event at Singapore’s SEA Aquarium, where Santa will swim in a diving suit, and his elves will feed the hammerhead shark, Sam.

Another highlight of the holidays is the Universal Christmas event at Universal Studios Singapore, a must-visit for all cinema lovers.

Apart from attractions available in the park year-round, kids and their parents can participate in Santa’s workshop, listen to live music and enjoy tasteful Christmas decorations.

The best thing about Christmas in Singapore is that these events are only a fracture of all the entertainment available in the country.

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