Faiths / Festivals of Chinese Immigrants

Source 1: A description of beginnings of Thian Hock Keng Temple, Taoist temple in 19th century Colonial Singapore.

Source 2: A description of the Chinese Christian Association in 19th century Colonial Singapore.

The Chinese Christian Association (CCA) was established in October 1889 and lasted for more than half a century. The group organised religious activities such as bible classes alongside secular activities including debates, lectures as well as drama and reading clubs. Through its literary and cultural movements, the CCA became a forum for the debate of a wide range of social issues pertaining to the Straits Chinese (Peranakan) community.

In 1889, Lim Koon Tye, a young Peranakan, presented a lecture about the recreations of the Straits Chinese at a meeting of the Presbyterian Church’s Young Men’s Society. The 23-year-old Lim spoke of transforming the physical, moral and mental outlook of the Straits Chinese, and appealed to the church to take a special interest in the Straits Chinese community. Following the lecture, the Young Men’s Society formed a committee that included Arthur Knight, John Haffenden, W. Swan and Tan Boon Chin to explore how the church could affect the moral lives and welfare of the Straits Chinese.

This led to the formation of the Chinese Christian Association (CCA) later that year. Through its literary and cultural activities, the CCA hoped to occupy the vacuum left by the dissolution of the Celestial Reasoning Association, a society that had been formed by local Chinese to debate ethical and social issues using English as the main medium of communication. The influence of the Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church among the Straits Chinese had also dwindled after the demise of its leader, Benjamin Keasberry, and the CCA looked to rectify this state of affairs.

Reference:

Tan, B. (2010). Chinese Christian Association. Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1873_2012-02-29.html?s=Chinese%20festivals%20in%20the%2019th%20century

Source 3: An extract about Chingay celebrations in 19th century Colonial Singapore.

Chingay is an annual street parade held in Singapore as part of the Lunar New Year celebrations. The term “Chingay” is derived from the Hokkien Chinese term 妆艺, which means “to decorate a frame with incense and boys dressed as girls carried in processions”, according to Carstair Douglas’s 1899 Amoy (Hokkien) dictionary. The practice seems to have originated in China, where scattered 19th-century accounts of dressed-up children being carried on platforms in processions had been recorded, from various places like Canton and Chiqiao in Shanxi.

It is commonly believed that 19th-century Chinese immigrants first brought the Chingay practice to Penang. Penang’s festivals became famous for lavish processions featuring elaborate chingays and huge flags. In Singapore, what appeared to be Chingay platforms were mentioned as early as 1840 in the press, though seemingly Chingay processions were reported only from the 1880s. These processions carried on until 1906 when clans abolished the practice of organising grand processions.

Processions to honour Chinese religious deities were apparently a regular occurrence in 19th-century Singapore. The earliest account appeared in April 1840, describing festivities in honour of the deity Ma Chor Po, the protector of seafarers. Children being carried on platforms was characteristic of a chingay, though this was not mentioned in the report. One of the earliest explicit reference to a Chingay procession was a brief mention in a January 1884 newspaper article, while a December 1887 article described the participation of Teochew, Cantonese, Hylam and Keh contingents in an extensive procession that took several hours to pass through the Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar areas. This year-end combined Chingay procession by the non-Hokkiens had become an annual event by the late 19th century, and continued into the early 20th century.

Reference:

Tan, J.H.S. (2007). Chingay. Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_44_2004-12-27.html

Source 5: A description of the Chinese New Year customs celebrated by Chinese immigrants during the 19th century Colonial Singapore.

Chinese New Year is celebrated by most Chinese in Singapore. The first day of the lunar new year usually falls between the winter solstice (dongzhi) and spring’s beginning (lichun). This typically falls between 21 January and 20 February each year.

On the 24th day of the 12th month of the Chinese lunar calendar is xiaoguonian (little new year), which marks the beginning of the new year festivities. It is believed that on this day, household deities report to Yu Huang (Jade Emperor), the supreme ruler of heaven and earth. Special food offerings such as sweet cakes, candied fruits and sweet rice dishes are provided for the Hearth God or Kitchen God (zaojun or zaowang) in the hope that he would put in a good word for the family to the Jade Emperor. Firecrackers are then lit to bid farewell to the deities and spring cleaning commences.

The family reunion dinner and ancestor worship are the two of the most important highlights of the celebrations on the eve of the new year (chuxi). The Lunar New Year is traditionally ushered in at 11 pm, but many families, especially those in Singapore, have adopted 12 am as the norm. The reunion dinner (tuan’nianfan) is an annual feast where family members reaffirm the love and respect that bind them together as a unit. This event is of sociological significance as it is a means to ensure the solidarity of the family and its cohesiveness.

Family members are expected return to the family home for reunion dinner. The more traditional Chinese families also “invite” their deceased ancestors to join them by placing offerings on the family altar. As convention dictates, all sons return to their parental homes for the occasion. Married daughters, on the other hand, join their husbands’ families for reunion dinner on chuxi.

At this gathering, food is served in abundance regardless of whether the family is rich or poor as the Chinese believe that having plenty of food during tuanyuan would bring the family great material wealth in the new year.

Reference:

Tan, B. (2018). Chinese New Year Customs in Singapore. Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_948__2009-01-02.html

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