On rainy Dec 14 afternoon, a group of people dressed in red gathered at the void deck of an HDB block in Bukit Panjang. They adorned themselves with Christmas props and wore costumes depicting the story of Christmas and the birth of Jesus.
Little girls in sparkly fairy outfits, a man dressed as Santa Claus, and boys dressed as kings and shepherds – the group of about 20 belonged to the Church of Saint Anthony’s carolling section in Woodlands.
Before every Christmas, the group comes together to visit fellow church members’ homes and shares the story of Jesus’ birth through carolling. This year, they did four days of carolling sessions at 20 houses, concluding their last visit at 10.30pm on Dec 14.
They visited seven houses on Dec 14 in a five-hour journey, with locations spanning Bukit Panjang, Canberra, and Woodlands. They started at the home of Mrs Shirley Jennifer, 44. For her, this Christmas was extra special as she is celebrating it in her new home.
Mrs Shirley, who works as an assistant human resources manager, and her husband, Mr Leo Martin, 46, who is self-employed, noted that carolling is an integral part of Christmas, as it brings added joy to their hearts as they sing.
The couple has been inviting the carolling group for the past five years and, in turn, also joins the group for the rest of the carolling sessions.
“Since the songs are sung in Tamil, it’s even more heartwarming to listen to them. Seeing a big group of people coming together to spread good vibes in my house is extra special,” said Mrs Shirley.
Popular Christmas songs such as Silent Night were sung during the carolling session, which lasted about 15 minutes.
As the session drew to a close at Mrs Shirley’s home, members were seen dancing with joy and shouting “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year” as loudly as they could. Following the session, Mrs Shirley served drinks and cakes as a gesture of appreciation.
For Merrish Joans Sudhakar, 19, and Merilyn Joans Sudhakar, 16, carolling has been part of their lives for more than a decade.
The siblings, who migrated to Singapore from India when they were six and four years old, respectively, found joy in meeting fellow community members through the carolling group.
“When we came to Singapore, it was just the four of us, including our parents, and we felt lonely. However, after meeting the church members, they became a second family to us,” Mr Merrish said.
Although he is neither Tamil nor Christian, Mr Lin Junyu, 11, found bliss carolling alongside his neighbour, Ms Arokkiadoss Aksilia, 14.
The two have been neighbours since Junyu was born. From a young age, Junyu has been visiting Ms Aksilia’s home, and on special occasions such as Chinese New Year and Christmas, both families exchange goodies.
When the carolling group previously visited Aksilia’s home, Junyu’s entire family joined in.
“I saw the excitement in Junyu when he joined the carolling session, and I decided to ask him if he would like to join again this time with me,” said Aksilia.
“Christmas is a very joyful festival. Even though I may not celebrate it, I find happiness in seeing people exchange gifts,” said Junyu.
For the past eight years, process engineer Arun Kumar Sesuraj, 35, has been the centre of attention at every carolling session.
When one thinks of Christmas entertainment, Santa Claus often comes to mind. At every carolling session, Mr Arun voluntarily dons the Santa Claus costume purely to bring happiness to families.
“Entertaining children and families can be an arduous task. I appear at the end of each carolling session as a suspense character,” said Mr Arun. “People look at me and expect me to do something. When I dance and make funny movements, the families rejoice.”
Meanwhile, Mrs Sharly Alexander, 53, was already at her friend, Mrs Vincent Agnes Evangelin’s, 50, new home in Canberra with her family, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the carolling group. Before the group arrived, the luxurious house, filled with Christmas decorations, was infused with the aroma of fritters and snacks prepared for the singers.
Sharing how Christmas holds a special place in her family’s heart, Mrs Vincent also expressed her joy that her daughter is one of the singers in the group. “It’s nice to see my own daughter coming to our house with the rest to sing. It shows that she is keen to participate in festive activities,” she highlighted.
