Celebrate Singapore's National Day With Your TCKs!

Even if you can’t be back in Singapore, you can start preparing to celebrate National Day with your children!

When we lived overseas, we tried to at least wear red and white on the day itself, and plan to watch the National Day Parade online. If the day was a work and school-day, we would do it on a weekend. We wanted our kids to remember and have some positive feelings for their passport country. These little traditions will help Singaporean TCKs feel more connected to Singapore, and build memories that will help them call Singapore “home”.

Some of the things we did every year to remember our nation’s birthday:

• Talk about Singapore’s history, and why we have a “National Day”.

• Learn to sing a few National Day songs.

• Practise singing the National Anthem and saying the Pledge (with some age-appropriate explanation of what it all means)!

• Talk about the Singapore flag and what it represents. If you have one, hang it up somewhere; or get the children to draw one to hang up.

• Wear red and white on National Day.

• Watch the National Day parade online (and join in the Majulah and Pledge). Even better if you can watch it with other Singaporeans.

• Eat some Singapore food!

* A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is someone who has spent a significant part of their childhood living outside their passport country.

Photo: J. Patrick Fischer, Wikimedia Commons