The year-end holiday season might not feel as cheery because of the global pandemic, especially since it means we can’t travel overseas this December. While Christmas celebrations may be a little different this year, there’s no shortage of festive things to do on our sunny island.
From Christmas markets to festive workshops and even snow, here are 7 activities to celebrate Christmas in Singapore 2020!
1. Visit an iconic Christmas landmark in the Netherlands
Pic credit: Gardens By The Bay
We might not be able to travel to Europe to experience Christmas this year, but if you’re still looking for a chance to explore a festive landmark in the Netherlands, the Gardens By The Bay has got you covered!
Poinsettia Wishes is back at the Flower Dome, with a reimagined Gouda City Hall the highlight of this year’s event. On top of seasonal flowers like Christmas Roses and Kalanchoe, Nutcrackers have also been placed around the display. Learn more about Nordic folklore as you keep an eye out for nisses hidden throughout the festive blooms.
Poinsettia Wishes will be on display until 3 January 2021, and admission charges to the Flower Dome apply. Due to current safe distancing measures, visitors are required to pre-book their timed-entry tickets online.
Tip: Plan your trip in the evening to catch the Luminarie Light Sculptures for a magical experience!
2. Explore a dinosaur-themed themed festive village
Pic credit: Changi Airport
Back for another edition this year, the Changi Festive Village promises not only fun activities, but a festive market and workshops as well!
With a dinosaur-themed village set up at Terminals 3, this is your chance to get up close and personal with life-like dinosaurs. For those looking to experience a White Christmas, a double-storey tokidoki snow house has also been set up, where you’ll get to ride a snow luge and catch a light and sound show too.
For the little ones and those young at heart, a mega dino-themed bouncy castle has also been set up at Terminal 4, with 2 different curated play zones. If you’re looking for something a little more exciting, a dino go-kart course has also been set up at the taxi area! With 2 different tracks available, challenge your family and friends to a race in the first-ever airport go-kart race!
Do note that activities available will require you to purchase or redeem an activity pass. For more details regarding redemption as well as operating hours, please refer to the Changi Festive Village website.
3. Get up close and personal with miniature horses for a good cause
Pic credit: In Good Company
Christmas may be a happy time for most of us, as we look forward to receiving presents and spending time with our loved ones. The year-end period is also the perfect time to help the less fortunate, who may not be able to celebrate the festive period like everyone else!
This Christmas season, retailer In Good Company has teamed up with EQUAL, a non-profit organisation that helps strengthen the mental health and well-being of its beneficiaries through animal-assisted therapy. From 6-20 December 2020, the retailer will be holding Miniature Horse sessions at EQUAL’s stables, where you’ll get the chance to get up close and personal with the organisation’s miniature horses.
Each ticket costs $50 and admits either 2 adults or 1 adult and 1 child. The ticket also includes 2 complimentary drinks from Plain Vanilla Bakery, a $50 e-voucher for In Good Company as well as a photo opportunity with 2 horses.
For more details on the event, please refer to In Good Company’s website.
4. Hop onboard one of the most well-known trains
Pic credit: Sistic
Looking for a slightly different way to celebrate Christmas this year? Step onto one of the most iconic trains of our time, and discover what it was like to travel on board the Orient Express!
Through documents and objects, “Once Upon A Time On The Orient Express” will allow visitors to explore the history of the train, as well as learn more about events that impacted the world during that period. You will also get the chance to explore the routes taken by the train in the past, and experience what it was like to travel as a diplomat or explorer.
The exhibition will showcase 2 original 1930 train carriages as well as a 158-year-old locomotive, which will be shipped in from France. There will also be a merchandise area where visitors can pick up toys and collector’s items as well. A cafe will also allow guests to have a chance to enjoy coffee blends that were discovered and made famous by the Orient Express route.
“Once Upon A Time On The Orient Express” is located at the West Lawn at Gardens By The Bay, and will run until 13 June 2021. Tickets can be purchased online via Sistic, and more details can be found on the event page.
5. Get lost in a Christmas Wonderland
Pic credit: Christmas Wonderland
One of the most well-known Christmas events in Singapore, Christmas Wonderland is back this year, but with a slight twist!
While its past editions featured sprawling festive grounds with a Christmas market and carnival rides, social distancing measures means that a large part of the event has been shifted online. For the virtual event, a membership is required for guests to take part in activities such as carnival games, a festive market and even get a chance to video call Santa!
If you miss the festive lights that were a big part of previous editions of the event, fret not as the Walk of Lights at Gardens by The Bay features brand new light installations! Brand new luminarie lights have been set up across 370m, and visitors can look forward to 8 different installations across the Supertree Grove. Do note that the Walk of Lights is a ticketed event, and you will need to pre-book your tickets online.
For more details on Christmas Wonderland, please refer to their website.
6. Go shopping at a Christmas market
Pic credit: Sentosa Fair
Christmas markets are a common sight during the year-end period, but have you visited a themed-Christmas market?
The Sentosa Fair is back for another edition, but this time the event will be held in the city this year! Sentosa has teamed up with WTP Furnishing Solutions for their end-of-year festive market, and admission is free! There are different themes for each week of shopping, with different brands featured each week.
For more details on the event such as opening hours as well as brands featured throughout the week, please refer to their Facebook page.
7. Experience a White Christmas with some snowfall
Pic credit: Capitol Singapore
Although travelling to experience a White Christmas is out of the equation this year, there are still many chances to catch snow in Singapore!
Step into a scene straight out of The Nutcracker at Capitol Singapore, where Nutcracker soldiers and trick-eye art installations welcome you to the Land of Snowflakes. With an 8m-tall singing Christmas tree, festive workshops and a Christmas market too, there’s plenty of activities to check out.
To top things off, there’s a 5-minute snowfall at 7:30PM, 8:30PM and 9:30PM daily, where you’ll get the chance to experience “snow” in Singapore! For more details regarding Land of Snowflakes, please refer to Capitol Singapore’s website.
Festive fun in Singapore
Christmas also means that it’s the season for presents, which is why Monster Day Tours is giving our walking tour participants a gift too!
We have recently launched our crowd-favourite Changi Airport and Jewel tour in Mandarin, and this is the perfect chance for the whole family to explore Singapore together. In the spirit of Christmas, Monster Day Tours will be giving each participant of our new Mandarin tour a Christmas fun pack!
From now till the end of December 2020, sign up for our Mandarin Changi Airport tour to receive a special travel-size Christmas gift pack worth $15. Each gift pack comes with an assortment of snacks, a bottle open souvenir as well as a face mask.
To sweeten the deal, use your SingapoRediscover vouchers when booking a tour with Monster Day Tours so that your child attends for free with a subsidised child ticket! To make a booking or find out more about different tours, please visit https://www.monsterdaytours.com/singaporediscover-tours.
P.S: Monster Day Tours has one more festive surprise coming soon! In case you haven’t heard, our Eat, Play Love @ Singapore River tour has sold out, and if you didn’t get the chance to sign up in time, fret not. We have another special food tour coming soon, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled for that! Want to get first dibs? Sign up for our early notification and updates here.
