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Saturday, August 30, 2008 @ 9:56 PM♥

Question: How Different Are We?

Posted By: Sherry.

Singapore is a multi ethnic country.
Made up of many different racial,
cultural and religious background.
The Chinese, Malays, Indians
and Eurasians are all living in peace and harmony in Singapore.
Despite of their differences.
It is still possible for us to live in harmony together.

English is the language that is widely spoken and understood.
And is often used as a language to communicate
between different races.
However nowadays, different races are trying to learn
the other languages spoken by the many different races
so as to communicate better.
Therefore, three other languages are also used in Singapore.

Each different races celebrates their special festivals, on different dates and days.
Lantern Festival, Hungry Ghost Festival
and Chinese New Year are the most popular festivals of the Chinese people.

-Chinese New Year:
Chinese New Year festivities centre around the family. First, it is an occasion to give thanks for the family's successes during the past year and to prepare the way for prosperity in the new year. Second, it is a time for family members far and near to come together - to re-connect, to see themselves as part of a larger family so as to re-establish
and maintain the order of the family.
Elders are venerated for their wisdom,
kindness and dedication to the family.
And children have many opportunities to express
the respect and gratitude
they feel towards those who have nurtured them.
It is this form of family affection,
which connects the generations over time that is
called xiao or filial piety and is the basis of family harmony.

-Qing Ming Jie:
The Qing Ming festival is primarily an occasion
for remembering and honouring those members of one's family
who have departed from this world.
These departed family members or ancestors
are remembered with gratitude for the life
which the present generation has received from them.
Families visit the places where their ancestors' graves are,
or where the ashes or ancestral tablets are kept, to express gratitude and respect.
This xiao or filial piety is important,
for it holds the family together over time.
The great sage, Confucius,
said that this filial piety is the root of all care and concern for others in society.
It is the basis of the community spirit of persons coming together in one great family (da jia).

-Dragon Boat Festival:
People come together to eat rice dumplings
and participate in dragon boat races.
National patriots are commemorated.
The importance of loyalty and commitment
to the community is emphasised.

-Hungry Ghost Festival:
Zhong Yuan Jie is a time to remember the dead.
It emphasises filial piety and magnanimity.
The Taoists believe that this festival also marks the birthday
of the Earth God and it is an occasion for them
to ask for forgiveness from the Earth God.

The Malays celebrates Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji.

-Hari Raya Puasa:
Hari Raya Puasa is celebrated to mark the end of the fast in Ramadan
which is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
Hence it is known as the Festival of Breaking the Fast.
During the month of Ramadan all adult Muslims must fast from dawn to sunset.
This means abstaining from eating and drinking.
During the hours of fasting, Muslims must not smoke nor have sexual relations.
Travellers and the sick can defer fasting during
Ramadan and make up for it later.
A Muslim is expected to make a greater effort
to refrain from all bad acts during the fast.
He should not tell a lie, break a promise or do any deceitful act.
The purpose of fasting is to remind a Muslim of
the importance of self-control and submitting to the will of God.
Hari Raya Puasa is the most important festival for Muslims in Singapore.
It is celebrated on the completion of the ritual of fasting.
Besides the fast,
Muslims also fulfil the following observances:
tarawih prayer (night prayers) and the giving of
zakat fitrah (religious obligatory dues for charity).
Hence, it touches on the individual and his relationship to God,
the individual and other Muslims,
and the individual and society in general.
Hari Raya Puasa is a day of rejoicing and thanksgiving.
Muslims rejoice because they have fulfilled God's command of discipline,
piety (devotion to religion) and collective worship.

-Hari Raya Haji:
This is the Festival of Sacrifice.
Muslims observe the sacrifice to commemorate
the readiness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his beloved son,
Isma'ail, in order to obey God.
The story of Ibrahim and Isma'ail is a powerful reminder of
how God provides and cares for those who do His will.
It also reminds Muslims all over the world that
they must be ready to give up everything for God.
This festival coincides with the haj pilgrimage in Makkah.
It is celebrated on the tenth day of Zulhijjah
and it continues for the next three days.

And the Indians celebrates Thaipusam and Deepavali.

-Thaipusam:
A religious festival such as Thaipusam
stirs up the desire for enlightenment in the devotees.
The journey Hidumba undertook in search of the mountain peaks
symbolises the search for spiritual knowledge.
However, one cannot attain this knowledge without
the help of a Guru such as Sage Agastya.
On this day, devotees carry kavadis,
fast and pray in honour of Lord Murugan.
This could be to fulfil a vow they had made or to express
thanksgiving for some wish or desire fulfilled or for general blessings.
Devotees are encouraged to surrender themselves
to the Lord and to have faith and devotion.

In this celebration one gains victory over weaknesses and imperfections.
The devotees are encouraged and strengthened to face difficulties and problems in life.

-Deepavali:
The festival, on the whole, symbolises the triumph of good over evil.
Known as the Festival of Lights,
it occurs on the new moon day in the month
between mid-October and mid-November.
For some Hindus it is a three-day festival.
The nature and duration of the festival vary from place to place.
Devotion to God and a spirit of love and friendship are its characteristics.
The festival is an occasion for gaining more spiritual knowledge
and developing religious habits.
The lighting of the lamps symbolises the overcoming of darkness (evil)
by light and the removal of ignorance through knowledge.
It shows that the evil tendencies in human nature
should be overcome and replaced by kind thoughts
and goodwill towards all.

In many ways,
we are together regardless of race, language and religion.
But can multi-ethnic composition be a source of conflict too?

-Sherry's reflection:

The mutli-ethnic composition
can be a potential source of conflict
if it is not managed effectively.
If Singapore faces threats
that can endanger the bond that we share,
it could affect the economic,
security and peace of Singapore.
Therefore,
there is a need to manage ethnic diversity.

"One for All, All for One that is! :D"