Celebrating Chinese New Year in Singapore

One of the most memorable experiences you can witness this winter by buying cheap tickets for international flights is Chinese New Year in Singapore. This iconic holiday has its own unique charm and traditions. This time of the year is a favorite for most Singaporeans regardless of their heritage. In 2012, the lunar new year will begin on January 23. The upcoming lunar year will be the year of the Dragon, a particularly auspicious year, so it will be a lucky time to get those flights to Singapore and join in the celebrations! In Singapore, the lively Chinatown neighborhood is of course the center of annual celebrations.

During New Year celebrations, Chinatown’s street markets are filled to the brim and street performers entertain crowds all day and night. The drum beats of typical New Year dances, like dragon dances and lion dances, will be echoing in visitors’ heads for months to come. The Chinatown Street Light Up is a must-see. You’ll get to watch dance troupes and see acrobats and fire eaters performing in Kreta Ayer Square. At the River Hongbao area, there are performances and fireworks on the Marina Bay Floating Platform and the Waterfront Promenade at the Esplanade. Here you can see some traditional Chinese performance arts in action, like martial arts lessons and calligraphy demonstrations.

Chinese New Year is one of the most important times of the year for families and relatives to come together. For the Reunion Dinner on the eve of Chinese New Year, children are given “kong bao”, small red packets filled with money to use during the New Year and many families ring in the year by wearing newly purchased clothes and cleaning out their houses. Chinese New Year is a perfect time for shoppers to have cheap tickets to Singapore. There are immense street bazaars with over 500 stalls selling everything from artisan crafts, holiday decorations, flowers and all kinds of Chinese and Singaporean goodies. Get exotic souvenirs and snacks to bring on your flights home.

If you’re looking to party after your flights to Singapore, the nation’s biggest dance party is a major part of the celebrations of Chinese New Year. The dancing is all outdoors in the gigantic Pit Building, accommodating up to 8,000 dancers. Afterwards, Chingay Parade takes place by Manila Bay and participants perform in elaborate float processions. The celebration’s trademark is a countdown and fireworks show over Chinatown’s People’s Park Complex. The two days after these midnight celebrations are public holidays and nearly everything in Chinatown will be closed. Keep this in mind if it will affect your other plans for your cheap flights vacation to Singapore. If you want to join in one of the world’s greatest parties and get a cultural immersion in one of Asia’s most diverse areas at the same time, look for discount airline tickets and book cheap flights to Singapore now for the next Chinese New Year.