Theme: National Day Parade
Adults
by LearnX Singapore
Learn on the go. Check out our playlists for collections of short videos, and learning packages for articles, that will give you a slice of history and heritage.
Playlist
A collection of short videos or selected podcasts, exploring topics around Singapore’s National Day parades.
Playlist: National Day Parade
Since independence in 1965, Singapore has commemorated its nationhood annually on the 9th of August with a spectacular parade. The National Day Parade (NDP) features marching contingents, military displays, and large-scale performances that symbolise the nation’s strength, progress, and unity. The parade has become a yearly tradition for Singaporeans to gather and celebrate the nation’s achievements and ideals.
Check out the videos below to learn more about NDP.
A Nation Remembers: First National Day Parade | Roots Sg (9 mins)
The third episode of the National Heritage Board's "A Nation Remembers" project focuses on Singapore's first National Day Parade on 9 August 1966 and features interviews with participants of the historical parade.
Source: A Nation Remembers: First National Day Parade | Roots Sg (2014, May 5). Retrieved 2023, July 12.
Count On Me, Singapore: Who's Behind Your Favourite National Songs? | Striking A Chord - Ep 1/2 | CNA Insider (47 mins)
Singing along to National Day songs is a key ritual of the annual National Day Parade. This documentary follows singer-songwriter Shabir as he uncovers the stories behind some of Singapore’s favourite national tunes.
Source: Count On Me, Singapore: Who's Behind Your Favourite National Songs? | Striking A Chord - Ep 1/2 | CNA Insider (2021, Aug 13). Retrieved 2023, July 12.
What Makes Singapore's National Day 2020 Celebration Remarkable? | On The Red Dot | CNA Insider (46 mins)
How did Singapore celebrate its 55th birthday during a global pandemic? This documentary looks at how the National Day Parade rallied Singaporeans together despite the event being scaled back and adapted to comply with social-distancing measures in 2020.
Source: What Makes Singapore's National Day 2020 Celebration Remarkable? | On The Red Dot | CNA Insider (2020, Aug 8). Retrieved 2023, July 12.
Learning Package: National Day Parade
Held on the 9th of August every year since 1966, the National Day parade has become a yearly tradition for Singaporeans to gather and celebrate the nation’s achievements and forge aspirations for the future.
Did you know...
The state flag flypast made its debut at the National Day Parade in 1970. Originally the size of a pool table, the flag used in the flypast today is about 10 times larger at approximately 30 metres by 20 metres – roughly the size of a basketball court!
Learn more about the key elements of the parade and how it has evolved through the resources below.
Articles
Parades, Flags and Rallies: Celebrating Singapore's National Day by Lim, Tin Seng
This article discusses the history and significance of the National Day Parade in Singapore as well as related activities including decentralised celebrations in the heartlands, and the National Day Rally speech.
Source: Parades, Flags and Rallies: Celebrating Singapore's National Day (2014, July-September). Biblioasia. 17(1). Retrieved 2023, July 12.
Singapore's first National Day celebrations
Singapore held its first National Day parade at the Padang on the morning of 9 August 1966. The theme of the parade was “National Pride and Confidence in the Future”. This article describes the festivities of the day.
Source: Singapore's first National Day celebrations (2014). Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved 2023, July 12.
National songs have played a big role in the annual National Day parade since the 1980s. This article gives an overview of how national songs have evolved through the years and their public reception.
Source: National Day songs (2015). Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved 2023, July 12.
50 Years and Counting: Tracing the History of the National Day Parade
Featuring photographs from the National Museum of Singapore and National Archives of Singapore, this article traces the milestones and highlights of National Day parades from the inaugural one in 1966 to 2016.
Source: Ho, Stephanie, 50 Years and Counting: Tracing the History of the National Day Parade (2016, April-June). MuseSG. Retrieved 2023, July 12.
Books
A Celebration: SG50
Ong, Soh Chin (2016). A Celebration: SG50 Singapore: Straits Times Press Pte Ltd. (Call no.: RSING 959.57053 ONG-[HIS]
2015 was a special year that marked the 50th anniversary, or golden jubilee, of Singapore’s independence. This commemorative book chronicles some of the key moments of the SG50 celebrations, including the National Day parade, as well as the many other initiatives, such as exhibitions, performances, and community activities, organised to mark the occasion.
Majulah Singapura Our Golden Jubilee
-. (2015).Majulah Singapura: Our Golden Jubilee Singapore: [NDP 2015 Executive Committee] (Call no.: RSING 959.57053 NAT-[HIS]
Did you know the 1971 National Day parade was the first to feature mobile floats? This National Day Parade 2015 souvenir booklet features notable facts and pictures of past National Day parades over Singapore’s 50 years of nationhood.