Racial Harmony Day

Written by: Jacob Thien Yee Young & Emma Faith Le Shuen Shuen (3E2)

Racial Harmony Day is held annually on 21st July to commemorate the riots of 1964, and all students were highly encouraged to dress in ethnic costumes to embody the importance of maintaining racial and religious harmony in Singapore´s multicultural and multi-ethnic society. 

We had ours on 18th July, and that morning, many students came to school in beautiful ethnic costumes, ranging from the cheongsam to the baju kurung, and there were even some in hanbok! This allowed everyone to come together and learn about each other’s different yet unique costumes.

I did not know that one of my classmates is Korean until that day when I saw him in his traditional wear, and I took this opportunity to learn more about his culture, and not just about popular snacks like the tteokbokki, which are delicious sweet and spicy rice cakes. I learnt about how the Koreans are profoundly influenced by the Confucian principles which supports values like respect for elders and authority, the importance of family and group harmony, and these principles pervades not only their personal lives but also when they engage others professionally. I come from a Chinese background, so I shared about one of my favourite traditional costumes in the Shang dynasty, the hanfu, which is considered a symbol of authentic Chinese culture, reflecting Confucian scholars’ aspirations towards rituals, music and moralistic ideals. 

This made me realise that when one dresses in traditional clothing , we are not only honouring the traditions and customs of our ancestors but also acknowledging and understanding other cultures, which is crucial in bringing us closer together. 

Finally, to end off the day, the school picked the best dressed person in each cohort. It was a super fulfilling event and really made me more appreciative of the diverse cultures and exposure to different traditions in Singapore, and this truly makes our country so unique.