If you're an expat living in Singapore, you may agree that one of the hardest times to be away from your home country is during the festive season. After all, Christmas time is usually about family, friends, and all that is near and dear to you.
Especially if you hail from the Northern Hemisphere, where Yuletide is spent in a wintry, snowy wonderland. A far cry from Singapore’s heat, humidity, and tropical vibes. While we can’t bring winter upon Singapore, almost all the aspects you love about Christmas can most definitely be found here.
Christmas markets and carnivals? Check. A turkey feast? Check. Hallmark Christmas movie? Check. Hot chocolate sipped at the foot of a live Christmas tree at home? Also check.
Curious to know what Christmas as an occasion means to those of us who celebrate it in Singapore? Let’s have a look!
This guide gives you the rundown on how to celebrate Christmas in Singapore. Trust us, you'll be too busy to really realise how different it could be. It’s a month-long party all across the island that you'll most definitely want to be part of.
In multicultural Singapore, Christmas is an important festival celebrated by Catholics and Christians to mark the birth of Jesus Christ.
It’s one of our designated public holidays, which means that everyone can celebrate the day together!
As a predominantly Asian society, Christmas was not a big thing in Singapore until the 1970s and 1980s. During this time, influences from the West started to shape locals' attitudes towards Christmas and Christianity.
A 35-foot cardboard Christmas tree that stood in People’s Park Complex in the 1970s may not seem like much today. Back then, it was widely celebrated and reported in the news.
As more people turned to Christianity, Christmas became more significant to groups in Singapore. Eurasians were among the first groups in Singapore to really embrace Christmas, celebrating by attending church services, cooking special foods, singing Christmas carols for the public, and gathering with family and friends to eat, drink, and be merry.
Today, Christmas in Singapore has taken on a more secular significance too, with people from all races and religions soaking in the jolly festive vibes that seem to have permeated every mall and space in Singapore.
Christmas Day, 25 December, is a public holiday in Singapore, so you can go ahead attend those Christmas Eve parties!
The whole month of December is also jazzed up with Christmas decor, activities, performances, and festive markets. It's something many Singapore residents look forward to as they wind down the year and get ready for the merriment of the Christmas and New Year season.
In cosmopolitan Singapore, you’ll find it extremely easy to find the festive foods you’re probably used to at home.
Think glazed hams, roasted beef, carved turkey, lamb shanks, tender ribs, puddings, chunky soups, salads, grilled lobster tails, salmon charcuterie boards, and a whole plethora of sweet treats and cakes to choose from.
Traditional Christmas foods in Singapore originated with the Eurasians, and include:
If you want some Christmas food with an Asian twist, Singapore’s the best place to sample some.
Fancy Hong Kong-style BBQ meats, Nyonya-style spiced roasted duck, honey-glazed ham with pineapple sauce, whole tandoori turkey, or coconut-flavoured log cakes? Welcome to Singapore, mate.
For Singaporeans who celebrate Christmas, it almost always starts in a church. Christmas is after all, a day to remember the birth of Jesus Christ—a significant event for Christians and Catholics.
If you’re looking for a church to attend, here are some options, depending on what kind of church you’re looking for. Located in the central area of Singapore, these churches are the most established churches of their respective denominations, so they’re great starting places if you’re new to Singapore.
Catholic Church: Cathedral of the Good Shepherd
Anglican Church: St Andrew’s Cathedral
Methodist Church: Wesley Methodist Church
Presbyterian Church: Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church
For many in Singapore, Christmas isn’t just a religious holiday; it’s a season packed with gatherings, themed events, and festive menus. The weeks leading up to the 25th are filled with Christmas carnivals, exhibitions, and restaurant specials that celebrate the city’s vibrant holiday spirit.
At work, you'll likely see managers or team leads organising end-of-year parties or small gift exchanges. Some workplaces go all out with Secret Santa or department door gifts, while others keep it simple with festive treats and coffee breaks.
True to Singapore’s multicultural character, Christmas celebrations here cross cultural and religious lines, bringing people together in the shared joy of the season.
A real Christmas tree can make your home smell like the holidays, even in Singapore’s tropical climate. If you’re thinking of buying one this year, here’s a quick guide on where to find fresh trees and how to care for them.
From late November all the way until Christmas Day, almost every neighbourhood mall you walk into will be dressed up in its Christmas finery. You’ll see fairy lights, sparkly tinsel, candy canes, colourful baubles, shiny bells, snowflake cut-outs, and snowmen adorning many a glass pane all across the island. Don’t be surprised to see some cars dressed up as reindeer, too!
Two places in Singapore stand out for their spectacular Christmas light-up, year after year.
The famous Orchard Road Christmas light-up: some love it, some find it too flashy or tacky.
The only way to know is to take a trip to Orchard Road for yourself and take in the lights, sounds, and action.
This year’s celebrations are set to be pretty amazing, with a firefly garden theme, nightly snow shows, and Christmas villages with a Singapore touch.
If you’ve never been to the Gardens By The Bay, Singapore’s iconic urban park that’s a top-ranked attraction in the world, Christmas is a wonderful time to visit.
Pop into the Flower Dome to take in the Christmas train show floral display, which features mini train models set against a wintry landscape of America’s landmarks. Then, head to the Floral Fantasy exhibition for large-scale topiaries and floral structures of favourite Disney characters.
End the evening at the eye-catching Supertree Grove. Its majestic 18-foot tree structures are completely transformed into a magical lit-up Christmas village throughout December, with light displays, carnival games and rides, live music, and food stalls.
Almost every mall in Singapore will have some Christmas programme, with themed decorations, activities for kids, festive promotions, scheduled live shows, and even fake snow. If anything, snapping a photo with the towering Christmas tree on display always makes for a beautiful family keepsake.
Many tourist attractions in Singapore have special Christmas programmes to give visitors that extra festive sparkle in their experience. Think carnivals, character meet-and-greets, and themed displays.
Attractions in Singapore with a Christmas twist this December include the Mandai Nature Reserves, Universal Studios Singapore, SEA Aquarium, and even the Singapore Science Centre, to name a few.
Don’t expect the same experience as the Christmas festivals and markets of Europe, which feel like you’ve stepped right into a folktale. You'll otherwise be sorely disappointed.
Christmas markets in Singapore often have a unique twist, with local fare, old school carnival games, indie performances, or even character-themed (check out the adorable Sanrio-themed Christmas village at Changi Airport!).
The holidays can be a busy time to settle in, but with Wise Move, your relocation can be smooth and stress-free. Book the best moving teams in Singapore to get your belongings (and even your Christmas tree) home in one piece, so you can start celebrating sooner.
The Orchard Road light-up is an annual event that started in 1984. Over the years, it's grown and expanded to cover a longer stretch of Orchard and to include a whole host of buzzing Christmas activities.
All Singaporeans know to truly savour the Christmas decorations from the time they go up in mid-November, as they’re usually very quickly and ruthlessly replaced by Chinese New Year decorations as early as Boxing Day. That’s because Chinese New Year can be as early as January, and it is a massive celebration for Chinese in Singapore.
Christmas is one of two gazetted public holidays for Christians in Singapore, the other being Good Friday.
One of the first live Christmas trees on display in Singapore was at Raffles Hotel in 1933, when the iconic hotel began hosting its annual special Christmas Gala Dinner and Tree Auction to raise money for charity.
Christmas is a multicultural affair in Singapore, with people of different ethnicities and religions partaking in its festivities, often with cultural adaptations of Christmas foods.
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