Solar New Year

Solar New Year - A Haw Par Villa Original Programme

The universal New Year is 1 January, while the Chinese and many East Asians celebrate the Lunar New Year, which usually falls in January or February. Slightly later in mid-April, another New Year is observed for a host of communities across South Asia and Southeast Asia. This is the Solar New Year!

Conceptualised by the park’s management team - Journeys Pte Ltd - as a wholly original event, the Solar New Year has become one of Haw Par Villa’s signature events on its annual calendar. The team created ten original storyboards to share about the festivals celebrated in South Asia and Southeast Asia during this period and organised a blessings ceremony conducted by a Burmese Buddhist monk, a Thai Buddhist monk, a Tamil Hindu priest, and a Sikh priest.

In 2023, we raised the stakes for our second edition! The team organised a colourful bazaar, free traditional music and dance performances and workshops to mark the occasion.

Click on the banner below to hear our Executive Director share more about Solar New Year, and watch our original video below!