Singapore, 21 April 2022 – Singapore Post Limited (SingPost) is launching a commemorative set of four stamps tomorrow (22 April 2022), featuring key festivals celebrated in Singapore. The festivals depicted are: Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Puasa, Deepavali and New Year.
This set of Festival stamps represents a diversity of cultures in Singapore, all of which celebrating new starts in their own ways. The diversity we have in Singapore also means there is always a festival around the corner.
The set of stamps are illustrated by designer Ms Lim An-Ling, who has previously designed major stamp issues including the Bicentennial stamps and the current Zodiac series of stamps.
Celebrating New Starts in Singapore
Celebrations for Chinese New Year typically begins on the eve of the holiday, when Chinese families gather for the all-important reunion dinner. Red and gold are colours of the season, used in apparel and house décor to symbolise prosperity and good luck. Traditionally, the festivities continue until the 15th day, as red packets (ang pow) stuffed with cash are given from married elders to the young ones as a blessing. A beloved local tradition in Singapore is the communal tossing of yusheng for luck.
The Malays in Singapore celebrate a different kind of new start, with Hari Raya Puasa signalling the end of the Ramadan fasting month and the start of the Eid festival. It is a holy day with themes of repentance and forgiveness, a seeking of peace. On the day, entire families, dressed in beautifully coordinated new baju, head out for their festive visits. Fellowship and food are then the order of the day, in homes painstakingly decorated in green, which is often used to represent purity.
Often mistaken as the Indian new year, Deepavali actually celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil — a spiritual new start. In Singapore, this Festival of Lights is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, usually with the lighting of little lamps at t he doorway to the home the night before. Mesmerising coloured-rice flour designs, called kolam or rangoli, also carpet the entrance to invite blessing from deities. Rituals on the day might include taking oil baths or applying oil to the head, followed by morning prayers at the temple. Dressed in their best saris and kurtas, the community then enjoys visits at each other’s homes, exchanging gifts and, of course, partaking in sumptuous spreads.
Last but not least, the Gregorian calendar New Year marks the passing of a full year and the beginning of a new one, which is commonly celebrated across cultures. In Singapore, this is usually marked by countdown parties, and in recent years celebrated with fireworks across the island for a cheerful start to the year.
Sale of stamps
The stamps (valued at 30 cents each), Self-adhesive stamp booklets (S$3.00), Pre-cancelled First Day Covers with stamps (S$2.55) and Presentation Packs (S$3.60) will be available at all post offices, philatelic stores and online at shop.singpost.com from tomorrow (22 April 2022), while stocks last.
- END -
About Singapore Post Limited
For more than 160 years, Singapore Post (SingPost), as the country's postal service provider, has been delivering trusted and reliable services to homes and businesses in Singapore. Today, SingPost is pioneering and leading in eCommerce logistics as well as providing innovative mail and logistics solutions in Singapore and around the world, with operations in 19 markets.
Building on its trusted communications through domestic and international postal services, SingPost is taking the lead in end-to-end integrated and digital mail solutions. The suite of SingPost eCommerce logistics solutions includes front end web management, warehousing and fulfilment, last mile delivery and international freight forwarding.
