NDP 2010

CHRISTMAS

Christmas is a holiday season celebrated by Christians – celebrate the birth of Jesus on 25^th December. It marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which is also known as the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’. For Christians, it is also the time for family reunion. But in Singapore, non-Christians also celebrate Christmas – for the food and gifts, and the fun too.

Today, modern-day Christmas is celebrated with decorated Christmas tree, Christmas parties, Christmas cake, feasting and gift-giving. Traditionally, Christmas trees were not brought in and decorated until Christmas Eve, and then removed the day after twelfth night because to have a tree up before or after these dates was even considered bad luck. Christmas trees are often seen as a symbol of the Christmas season. Decorating the Christmas tree will be an activity for the whole family.

Family will gather on Christmas Eve (24^th December) to have a meal. It will be a big feast with popular Christmas season food – roast ham, roast turkey, pudding, gingerbread, Yule log (Christmas log cake), etc.

Most Christians will attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, and then have the children get up on Christmas Day morning to open their Christmas presents!

DEEPAVALI

Deepavali is known as the festival of lights. It falls on the last two days of the dark half of Kartik (October-November). It is the one occasion which it's joy and jubilation for all Hindus. It is when the humblest of hearts will be lighted by earthen lamps. The crackers resound and light up the earth and sky. Lighting up earthen lamps in Hindu temples, sacred places of worship and river banks symbolises the scattering of spiritual radiance all around the holy centres. Everyone is adorned with new and bright clothes, especially the women, who will be decorated with the best ornaments, capturing the social mood at its happiness.

Deepavali, the literal meaning in Sanskrit, is a row of lamps. People fill little clay lamps with oil and wick and lighting them in row all over their houses. Lamps are kept burning throughout the night - to drive away the shadows of the evil spirits.It is the triumph of good over evil!

During Deepavali, Hindus home entrances are made colourful with lovely traditional motifs of Rangoli designs to welcome Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, light, prosperity and wisdom. Rangoli designs, also known as 'kolams' are drawn with coloured rice flour and vermilion powder at the entrance of the house by women. Hindus also believe that on this day it is very auspicious for women to purchase some gold or silver jewelery, or at least one piece of new utensil.

HARI RAYA PUASA

Hari Raya Puasa falls on the month and the first day of Syawal. Syawal marks a New Year in the Islamic calendar. On the first day of Hari Raya, all male Muslims must go to the mosque for their Hari Raya prayers. On this very day, we would celebrate after fasting for a month! Hari Raya prayer consists of 'two rakaat' and a 'kutbah', leads by the Imam. After the prayer, all Muslims would greet each other and ask for forgiveness. Greetings and forgiving each other symbolises a clean and new year ahead for everyone.

At home, the women will be preparing all the special dishes for the big feast! Once all the men have returned from their prayers, we will have a meal together as a family. Usually, we would eat lontong, rendang, ayam merah, serunding and sambal goreng. 'Kuih tart' and 'kuih makmur' will be served too! These two 'kuih' (cookies) are our traditional cookies, so they are the "must have" goodies in everyone's home.

After the feast, we would go to our paternal grandparents house, then to our maternal grandparents house. Everyone would put on their new clothes. Men would wear baju kurung complete with songkok, and women would wear baju kurung with selendang. But before we leave home, we have to seek forgiveness from our own parents. Only then we would get our first 'zakat' money from our parents.

Hari Raya Puasa celebration would last for one month. The younger generations have to pay respects to the elders by visiting them at their homes. During the visits, we would seek forgiveness from them. We will not receive any 'zakat' money once we start working. This means we are already in adulthood and it is our turn to give 'zakat' money to the younger ones.

Introduction

Sorry for not putting the introduction first.

Anyway, let me introduce my group members

Christopher(Group Leader)

WS(Secetary)

Haziq(Manager)

Angelin Lee( Researcher)

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(PRTGBS)