After Christmas, residents rush to get decorations up in time for Chinese New Year
One of the challenges this year is the short timeframe to tweak the decorations, said one resident.
Mr Abdullah Abdul Rahman (right) and his neighbours in Bishan have been putting up decorations for various festive occasions over the past few years.
SINGAPORE: Residents in some neighbourhoods have been rushing to get their upcycled and handcrafted Chinese New Year decorations up in time to usher in the Year of the Rabbit.
Residents said they have had to work with tight deadlines, to ensure that their Christmas decorations put up last month are promptly replaced by Chinese New Year ones.
REFLECTING THE VIBRANT KAMPUNG SPIRIT
At Block 117 in Tampines Street 11, for instance, towels made to look like rabbits, craft made from red packets and even gold and silver drapes, have given the area a festive touch.
For close to three years, resident Abdullah Abdul Rahman and his elderly neighbours have put up decorations for various occasions, reflecting the vibrant kampung spirit that they have.
“To me, it doesn't matter if you're Malay, Indian, Chinese or Eurasian… because we are living in a multiracial society,” said Mr Abdullah.
“(Hopefully), this encourages other people to follow. So, if you can make people happy, why not?”
But with the Chinese New Year festivities this time round being relatively close to Christmas, Mr Abdullah only had about a week to prepare and switch decorations.
While some of the decorations are handmade, others are recycled from other festivals over the years.
“It is not easy,” he said. “But we have managed to put up something nice for the residents to look at.”
He was also mindful that the corridors had to remain uncluttered, as advised by the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the National Fire and Emergency Preparedness Council.
RESIDENTS HAVE TO ADHERE TO REGULATIONS
Meanwhile, some residents have pitched in to decorate the void deck of Block 112 Bishan Street 12.
Bishan East Zone 1 Residents' Committee (RC) chairperson Fen Ng said despite the pandemic, the RC has been decorating its spaces to get residents into the festive spirit.
“The RC together with the residents here have come together, brought out all the recycled decorations accumulated in previous years, and put up all the decorations within the Zone 1 green hub, as well as extended and upscaled to the town centre of Bishan,” she added.
“It is heartwarming to see our residents and the RC coming together to create, design and decorate the community space.”
One of the challenges this year is the short timeframe to tweak the decorations, she added.
“We had to quickly take down the Christmas decorations and replace them with Chinese New Year ones. (But) with a very efficient and creative team, we managed to put everything together within a week.”
Some highlights this year include lion dance heads donated by a lion dance troupe and a unique flower pot made from mahjong tiles.
One resident who contributed to the efforts to decorate the area said: “For me, I feel that I am part of this neighbourhood, I am a part of this team. And I feel great to see that residents in the community enjoy what we're doing for them.”
However, agencies have advised those looking to spruce up their neighbourhood with Chinese New Year decorations to adhere to regulations.
For example, some town councils require residents to pay for all installations and the removal of decorations. They also have to ensure that there is no damage to common properties.
