National Day Parade – A Patriotic Extravaganza

Heralded as one of the most important days in the Singapore calendar, the National Day Parade commemorates Singapore’s independence. Essentially a national ceremony, the parade brings together throngs of locals in celebration of the most iconic day of the Singapore’s history and culture.

Tracing back to its history, the first National Day Parade took place on 9th August 1966. The event was organized one year after Singapore gained independence from Malaysia. The ceremonial proceedings of the day included a speech by the First President of Singapore, Mr. Yusof bin Ishak while standing at the grandstand of the City Hall steps. Accompanying the President was the First Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Kaun Yew, and a number of members of the Government. This was followed by a march past by six military contingents, including the SPDF, the Republic of Singapore Police, the Singapore Infantry Regiment and a mobile column of the SIR. In addition, civil contingents as well various school children took part in the march past, which began from City Hall and went on to the city streets including Orchard Road, Marina Bay, Sims Avenue, Little India, Woodlands, Bukit Batok, Bishan and Eunos, to name a few.

Adding further lustre to the National Day Parade was the three military bands which provided the march past with the sound of military music. The spectacular procession was complete with the participation of the Singapore Fire Brigade, filling the mobile column with a number of fire trucks, aside from its fleets of armoured tanks and military vehicles. A highlight was the Aerial display, which heightened the atmosphere with a number of planes whizzing fast above the viewers. These fighter aircrafts take to the skies, executing fan-out manoeuvres to create a splendid salute to the nation. This is followed by the aircrafts performing a bomb burst, trailed by streams of smoke.

Since then, the National Day Parade has been held annually, usually at the Float@Marina Bay, the National Stadium or the Padang. Having snowballed to become one of the biggest national events in Singapore, the day is hyped up by the media attention, coupled with a number of festivities that take place around the major cosmopolitan districts. As the nation revels in the joys of the National Day Parade, the most memorable event takes place during the climax of the parade, where spectacular displays of fireworks illuminate the bright skies. Igniting the passion of the locals, the fireworks explode amidst the picturesque backdrop of the endless sky, creating a kaleidoscopic vision of wonderful colours. The visual vista of dazzling lights complements the decorations of the streets, where a common sight would be a large number of Singaporeans decked out in the patriotic colours of the Singapore flag; red and white.

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