Before moving into your new home, you need to take care of several pre-move fixes and installations to ensure a smooth transition. Booking for deep cleaning, handyman, and pest control services in Singapore is common before moving in.
So right as the move day arrives, you pack and move all your belongings, and hire a home removal service in Singapore to discard all the redundant items. However, moving homes is more than just shifting the goods, but it’s a life-changing cultural event.
When moving to/in a country where a variety of cultures integrate as one, you ought to know about the different cultural traditions that a move entails. Besides booking with reliable SG movers, the locals perform different traditions as per their culture and religion.
Some of the most interesting ones are listed in this blog. Read on to know more.
Chinese & Taoist Traditions
With over 70% of Singapore’s population having a Chinese lineage, the cultural and religious traditions are deeply rooted in Feng Shui. Here are some pre-move traditions and moving day rituals that are widely practised.
Scattering the mixture
Before moving in the furniture, homeowners toss a mix of dry leaves, rice and salt into all corners of their home to cleanse negative energies.
Pineapple roll
This ritual is really popular among Singaporeans, and perhaps the most iconic ritual in Singapore. Before stepping inside, the eldest family members roll a pineapple into the new home while proclaiming “Huat ah!”
The term is highly auspicious because its pronunciation is identical to the word for pineapple, and the Chinese for both are also somewhat similar.
Bringing auspicious items
Some families even bring auspicious items first into their new home. Including “Ong Lai” (pineapple), rice pails, and a stove are some common things to be brought in while entering first.
Setting up the stove first signifies that the pantry shall never be empty. This way, families instil positive and warm vibes in their new home on the first day of the move.
Energy activation
On the move-in day, all the windows and doors are opened to circulate fresh energy, and all taps, lights, and electrical appliances are turned on to signify a lively, active home.
These are some of the moves in ritual rooted in the Taoist traditions that are commonly performed by several individuals & families moving across the island. Some do it for specific reasons, while others carry out these rituals for positive vibes only.
Malay & Muslim Traditions
The vast majority of the Malay population in Singapore is Muslim, so nearly a quarter of the population performs home move rituals per their religion. Hiring a home removal service in Singapore is a part of the physical and spiritual cleansing.
Reciting the holy verses
Malay people often hold a customary “Doa Selamat” (a prayer of thanksgiving and safety) in their new home before moving in. Friends, family and religious leaders are invited to read verses from the holy scripture and bless their home.
This tradition is significant for instilling positive vibes and seeking protection against negative spirits.
Charity and gratitude
Moreover, preparing a feast for the neighbours and distributing “sedekah” (charity) to the less fortunate before moving in is seen as a way to invite blessings from God. Also, giving things to the less fortunate helps bring prosperity to your new home.
The old broom taboo
After performing auspicious rituals, families often leave old cleaning tools, including brooms and mops, behind. It symbolises leaving old things behind, even dirt and debris and starting anew, physically and metaphorically.
Nearly 15% of the population of Singapore is Malay, and 99% of this demographic are Muslim, so these rituals are commonly performed among the general population.
Indian & Hindu Traditions
There’s also a large Tamil Hindu population that has become native to Singapore. So much so that Tamil is among the four officially spoken languages across the island.
Boiling milk
One of the most vital rituals in Indian tradition is boiling a pot of fresh milk on the new kitchen stove, letting it overflow and spill a tiny bit. This bubbling over represents abundance, joy, and never-ending prosperity for the household.
Puja and Hawan
Termed as “Griha Pravesh” (Housewarming worship) is often performed in the Hindu traditions. A priest is invited to perform the puja, and a sacred fire (havan) is lit to purify the new home’s atmosphere.
Auspicious offering
According to Vastu (somewhat similar to Feng Shui), the first item brought across the threshold should be a water-filled vessel (called Kalash), rice, salt and idols of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha.
First foot forward
The lady of the house usually enters the home first, carrying an auspicious item like a coconut or a pot of water, sometimes stepping into the home with a tray of turmeric and rice water.
The packing and moving may be done quickly, with assistance from SG movers, but people dedicate a lot of time to planning and performing these rituals. It’s their beliefs and efforts that often make moving a fulfilling experience.
In Short
In a world full of people, despite our fast-paced lives, rituals and traditions take up an important part of our lives. Therefore, it’s no surprise that you will find people planning to hire a home removal service in Singapore and simultaneously plan for a religious ritual for the move-in.
So, in a way, you can say that people prepare, plan, and pray for an auspicious beginning, no matter what aspect of life we might be starting. Now, next time you move, you can plan for performing such traditions and also book with reliable movers to ensure a seamless move.
