One Nation for all - National Day celebrations through the years

Posted by Simply Jean under Blogging, Lifestyle, National History, Reflections
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For years, my friends and I would meet up on 9 August and talk through the night. It doesn’t sound like anything we would do on National Day, unless you’re talking about getting together to watch the National Day fireworks. However, my friends and I stopped coming together about six years ago, and it isn’t because we have stopped celebrating our nation’s birthday.

We used to get together outside the stadium and queue through the night just to get hold of National Day Parade (NDP) tickets about two months before the event. This required much determination and patience before we could lay our hands on the much coveted tickets. There were other challenges, of course, such as finding out which stadiums were the tickets distributed at - its location usually disclosed on a much later date.

For us, the trick was simply to track down where the queues were. The presence of military personnel was almost a dead giveaway. All these were part and parcel of the fun as National Day approached; and that was how it was like for me at least six years ago.

The NDP has become iconic of our celebration of independence. Behind the pyrotechnics, march pasts and pledge takings, there is a long history behind these parades. The first celebrations were held in 1966, a year after Singapore gained independence and for the following eight years till 1974, the NDP was held at the Padang; not during the night, but in the day!

National Day Parade 1966 at the Padang (MICA collection, Courtesy of National Archives of Singapore)

The first NDP in 1966 was held at 9am, but spectators to the event were there as early as 7am! That year, Singapore’s first President, Mr Yusof Bin Ishak, and Singapore’s first Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, were seated at the grandstand on the steps of the City Hall with the rest of the cabinet ministers and members of the government.

Bird's eye view of NDP 1966 (MICA collection, Courtesy of National Archives of Singapore)

With about 23,000 participants, the first NDP was not very different from what we see today. There was the march past which features various contingents including personnel from the military, as well as students from various schools involved in the parade itself. Members of the PAP as well as the NTUC were also involved in the first parade. This is still very similar to what we see today.

However, did you know that instead of marching off to a corner of the Padang, the troops continued to make their way to Chinatown? For the people who were not present at the Padang, the march past into that area was a treat for many. This happened every alternate year between 1975 and 1983, when the NDP celebrations were held in different parts of Singapore.

When the National Stadium was completed in 1976, it became the venue of many NDPs. The stadium, with a capacity of about 60,000, allowed more people to catch the NDP performances and celebrations live, and was used as an alternative location to the Padang. While the stadium allowed a larger number of spectators to attend the NDP celebrations, certain activities were only feasible at the Padang, such as the drive past of the Singapore Armed Forces’ tanks and other combat vehicles. In 1995, it was decided that National Day celebrations will be held at the Padang every five years.

Magnificent fireworks display - a focal point of many NDPs (Photo courtesy of Chen Siyuan)

Throughout the years, many changes and improvisations to the NDP celebrations were made. The Singapore Armed Forces Music and Drama Company was also introduced into the celebrations in 1984. Then in 1986, the flashcard displays, which required thousands of students to hold two drawing board sized cardboards to form a complete picture, was introduced. And what an amazing effect it produced! This was the year that Singapore marked her 21^st year of independence- a milestone for most people, what more for a young nation.

For as long as I can remember - thundering fireworks in the skies were the highlight of the present day NDP. However, celebrations in the earlier years were carried out in the day and a fireworks display would probably not have as great an effect. Instead, mass lion dances were carried out as a finale.

NDP Paratroopers awe the crowds as they descend from the sky (Photo courtesy of Chen Siyuan)

In 1992, paratroopers, which subsequently became an extremely popular feature, were introduced. These brave men would descend from 1000 meters above sea level and delight the cheering crowd on the ground. There are dangers lurking in sky-diving and much vigilance required. However, the paratroopers, like our nation, have never failed to overcome all obstacles to land right on target.

Emerging technology made it possible to watch the NDP celebrations via webcast for the first time in 1994; allowing many Singaporeans who were working or studying abroad to catch the festivities live on their personal computers. It certainly brought Singaporeans overseas together to rejoice for their nation.

NDP2007 - The first parade to take place on the floating platform at Marina Bay (Wikipedia, Courtesy of Waycool27)

With plans to demolish the National Stadium in 2007, the NDP celebrations were moved to the Marina Bay which utilised a floating platform. While the platform area harbours a capacity of 27,000 people, the Marina Bay waterfront could house more than 150,000! That’s almost three times the seating capacity of the National Stadium!

Although I missed out on singing our national songs with my fellow Singaporeans and taking home the much-coveted fun packs at this year’s NDP, I celebrated our nation’s birthday in my very own, nonetheless patriotic, way. Over the weekend, I was invited to a Malay family for a potluck - my first! It is small celebrations like these that reflect the cohesion we share in this small nation; regardless of race, language or religion. So with our without NDP tickets, nothing will ever stop me from coming together to commemorate our nation’s independence.

EDITOR’S NOTE::: This is the sixth in a series of blog posts to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Singapore’s journey to nationhood.

To read the other offerings in this special series, see: