Christmas always comes early in Singapore.

What does Christmas look like in tropical Singapore and where and when are the best Christmas decorations and celebrations this year? Let me show you.

Christmas light up ceremony

Last weekend -mid november!- was the official Christmas Light Up ceremony at Shaw House Urban Plaza.

My plan was to have a peek at the opening ceremony which was attended by the President. Unfortunately it was pouring, so we waited until it rained at least a little less. By that time, the opening event had just ended.

So we missed the official opening, but we did see the nostalgic photo-exhibition in front of Shaw House Urban Plaza though. It’s gives a good overview of Christmas celebrations from the past years. (On display untill january 1st.)

Christmas on a Great Street

But let’s get back to Christmas on Orchard, or -as it is called this year- Christmas On a Great Street; 2.88 km of Christmas decorations from Tanglin Mall to Plaza Singapura.

The rain provided some pretty reflections of the lights.

This year the Christmas decorations are special, since they round off the Tourism50 year, while at the same time kicking off the nationwide celebrations for the nation’s 50th year of independence.
It sure is a pretty sight!

One mall has a Parisian theme for Christmas, including this Eiffel tower.

On Orchard you can not only enjoy the decorations on the street, but also in the window displays and inside the shopping malls.

I will let the rest of the pictures speak for themselves; be prepared to get in the Christmas spirit!

Singapore’s Christmas decorations can be enjoyed until january 1st.

Good to know

• On Orchard Road’s 3rd Pedestrian Night, december 6t, people can enjoy the decorations car-free. There will be outdoor film-screenings and other activities.
• Between december 18-23, from 7 pm to 11 pm, there are special performances and activities along Orchard Road every night
• At 7pm on Christmas Eve there will be a mass carolling performance at Tong Building
• On Christmas Day the road section between Scotts Road and Bideford Road will be closed for traffic from 1 pm onwards for the Grand Christmas Concert. Be in time to grab a spot!
• you can vote for Orchard Road’s Best Dressed Building via the free @Orchard app and stand a chance to win a shopping voucher
• share your Christmas joy by hash-tagging your pics with #orchardxmas

Other locations to catch the Christmas vibe

• At Changi Airport there is a 3-storey German Castle at Terminal 3’s departure hall as part of it’s Disney Christmas
• The Singapore River is decked out with eye-catching 8m-tall red lit trees dotting its banks
• There will be festive markets at Clarke Quay (dec 13, 14, 19, 20,21), fireworks displays (nov 28 9pm, dec 12 9pm and dec 26 9pm) and Christmas carolers (thu-sat, 7.30-9.30, until dec 15th).
• Most -if not all- malls will do something special for the holidays, wether it be Christmas decorations or pretty window displays.

So -apart from Christmas parties- you now have a complete overview of Christmas decorations and celebrations in Singapore that are worth checking out.

Now tell me:

• has Christmas already arrived in your hometown?
• is your city known to have pretty Christmas decorations?
• are there going to be any special celebrations?