Live And Let Live

Singaporeans definitely have a different way of seeing the world than we do. That might seem like stating the obvious, but in lots of different ways their culture has fleshed itself out with little quirks and traits that are just somehow…different.
Perhaps I should point out that the fact that there is such a strong sense of being Singaporean – a palpable national pride which drives the people here in a common direction and sees them striving to meet the same basic goals – is remarkable because they are a mix of several vastly different backgrounds and different cultures, all living closely together on this tiny piece of land and sharing a range of different religions. Where else would you find Muslims and Christians and Hindus and Buddhists and Jews and any other number of religions all living together so peacefully, successfully, and frankly thriving in a way which is the serious envy of much of the developed world?
Here’s a classic example: this week there are three major religious celebrations taking place: The Chinese Harvest Moon Festival, Ramadan, and Deepavali. That means that Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Jain, Sikh and Buddhists are all having a good time doing their thing simultaneously. All three festivals being celebrated and enjoyed around the island with no fights, no protests, no marches or religious fundamentalism stirring up problems. In fact in true Singaporean style the locals are having fun and making a tidy profit at the same time by selling moon cakes, fireworks and incense.
The first of these festivals to start – on October 6 this year - was the Chinese Harvest Moon Festival. All over the city delicious moon cakes with a detailed picture of the lotus blossom embossed into the delicate pastry are being sold. In China and throughout many Asian countries people celebrate the Harvest Moon on the 15th day of the eighth month of their lunar calendar. The Moon Festival is a day of family reunions similar to the American Thanksgiving. Chinese people believe that on that day, the moon is the roundest and brightest signaling a time of completeness and abundance. During the Festival, children are allowed to stay up past midnight, parading with multi-colored lanterns at night and families take to the streets or city parks to moon-gaze.
Deepavali (also known as Diwali) is a major Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhist festival/celebration and lasts for five days. Known as the "Festival of Lights," it symbolises the victory of good over evil, and lamps are lit as a sign of celebration and hope for mankind. Celebrations focus on lights and lamps. Fireworks are associated with the festival in some regions.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. It is during this month that Muslims observe the Fast of Ramadan. Lasting for the entire month, Muslims fast during the daylight hours and in the evening eat small meals and visit with friends and family. It's a time of worship and contemplation and a time to strengthen family and community ties.
As an outsider to all of these events, they are merely a colourful addition to our lives that we can watch and learn from and which the locals are more than happy to share with us. This morning as I was waiting to catch a taxi back from a park we had visited, we walked past a brightly painted Hindu temple adorned with figures of animals and deities. The place was full and we paused to watch the faithful, barefoot and dressed in their finest saris, lighting incense and offering wreaths of bright yellow chrysanthemums to the various demi-gods depicted inside. Chubby priests in half-togas were chanting prayers for the faithful and burning sheets of paper on which prayers are written in the various shrines inside the temple. The smell of incense hung thickly in the air and the atmosphere was busy with a bubbling of chatter and well wishings, a million light years from the few hushed Christian services I have attended in my life. Out the back a large extended family covering what must have been four generations were cooling off in the shade , fanning themselves to cool off. As we walked past – three pink-cheeked whiteys and fairly obviously ex-pats – they waved and greeted us enthusiastically, smiling at the boys and happy to enjoy a pleasant word on a sunny day. We couldn’t have been more different but to them it didn’t matter – and that’s what seems to characterise the national culture here. Tolerance and acceptance has led to the freedom to enjoy and express personal religious beliefs without the urge to become defensive or aggressive.
The government plays an active role in keeping the peace. Cults are expressly forbidden under Singaporean law, and apparently near the top of the back list are the Scientologists. So at least we won’t have to put up with Tom Cruise and his stick insect of a wife calling in!

Note: I have shamelessly stolen the information about the religious festivals from various places on the internet. However as I learnt during my days working as an editor for a huge multi-national publisher: To steal from one is plagiarism, to steal from many is research!