August 9th 1965 – 2015 Singapore
On August 9th 1965 Singapore declared its independence and this year the state observes its golden jubilee. Singapore has much to celebrate right now – its history tells the story of a city, initially ejected by Malaysia, but transformed into an international, economically successful powerhouse. Every year Singapore celebrates its National Day but this year’s SG50 events have gone above and beyond with the state declaring a 4-day weekend as part of the celebrations.The year of celebration begun ceremoniously at the stunning Marina Bay Sands with the launch of a countdown on December 31st 2014. Annual events like the Singapore International Festival of Arts will still take place but they will be joined by new additions such as the Jubilee Walk. The trail will cover important historical places throughout the city and will remain as a lasting legacy of the Jubilee. It will launch this November with several groups starting around the city and walking to the meeting point at Padang. It will also coincide with the 10-day festival that will lead up to the opening of Singapore’s National Gallery – a chance for the city to display its artistic wealth and talent. These city-wide events will also be accompanied by small-scale events across the nation to try and incorporate Singaporeans from every aspect of society.
The 4-day weekend this month saw concerts, parades and fireworks take over the city. Singapore is awash with red and hite, its national colours, and the background music to this year in the city is surely the national anthem. The theme of this year’s SG50 is unity – the website detailing all the events highlights the importance “for all Singaporeans to celebrate as one people” . On this note, a creative addition to the SG50 celebrations is the SG Heart Map. The map will be composed of 50 places in the city that the people consider home – places that hold the personal memories and life moments of the Singaporeans. People can contribute to the map through different art forms such as film and poetry. The final result will surely be a beautiful piece of art that will celebrate Singaporean unity.
This year will see the union of the past, the present and the future for Singapore. The city will reflect on the past 50 years since its birth and celebrate its blossoming into the impressive state it is today. Take your chance now and visit Singapore this year to be a part of the celebrations!
