Christmas Wonderland @ Gardens By the Bay

The Christmas season is upon us! It’s a swell time to eat, drink and be happy, and there is no better place to revel in the festive mood than at the Christmas Wonderland at the Gardens by the Bay (the Gardens). In Singapore, we celebrate Christmas in a uniquely Singaporean way; with tons of people, incredibly stifling humidity, sweet treats and drinks, and spectacles of lights and sounds!

This year, the familiar Gardens was rejuvenated with Christmas lights, eateries and retail outlets in adorable wooden huts, and carnival rides and games! Aptly themed Christmas Wonderland, it was a night to behold and be immersed in!

At the outset of this post, we would like to express that the human traffic during the weekends (including Friday) is exceptionally high; of course it’s great that everyone will be in the festive mood, but if you’re that kind of person who wish for a little less company, we advise you to visit the Gardens during a weekday!

Let’s begin!

Just a little sidetrack: we actually watched Jason Mraz live in Singapore at the Gardens 3 years ago! How time flies… and how times change hmm.

Flashback: When we both were a little more nerd-ier. (Note that Damian is still carrying the *same* bag)

Festive markets seem to have largely originated from Europe, with countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom famously hosting them during Christmas and Easter. Having had a taste of a few Christmas markets while studying overseas, Sandra was keen to discover any differences or similarities; for Damian, he was encountering a Christmas market for the first time!

Some differences stood out:

The choices of food were vastly different (in Germany, sausages, beer and hot chocolate (with Baileys!) were the staple); in Singapore, our tropical climate provides us the reasons to indulge in sweet, cooling drinks. Stores were seen selling ice-cool slushies, fruit juices and lemonades! Of course beer is prevalent, but then again, we DO have a law stating it’s illegal to drink after 11pm (jokes).
The sale of handicrafts are not completely based on Christmas; there were scented candles, perfume and jewellery for sale! However, this is not to say that there were not any Christmas base trinkets (ie Christmas tree decorations) on sale.
Entry to the Christmas Wonderland is free! In London, one would have to pay an entry fee to enter the Winter Wonderland; so Singapore wins on this one!

As Catholicism/Christianity are the main religions in most of Europe, the celebration of Christmas permeates their culture and society more than it does so in Singapore. As a result, the Christmas Wonderland is a modest reflection of the European Christmas markets but with a local twist!

There are numerous attractions at the Gardens during the Christmas Wonderland, so we’ll highlight them as we detail our eventful night here!

Walking into the Gardens

Here are some of the scenic shots taken whilst wandering into the Christmas Wonderland:

DSCF0937 — The bulk of the action takes place around the Supertree Grove (familiar to many Singaporeans by now!)

DSCF0948 — Attractions sighted: The Singapore Flyer and the Flower Dome.

DSCF0951 — The Entrance to the *Christmas Wonderland* (known as the *Luminarie*, or light sculptures).

DSCF0955 — A rather artsy shot of the Singapore Flyer, or a badly taken photo. EH HEH.

DSCF0962 — The Skywalk and the ‘Supertrees’ (not to be confused with mushrooms).

Fun Time @ the Fairground

DSCF0967 — Witnessing the *Spalleria* in its full glory is a sight to behold; standing at over 20 metres, the beautifully lit structure hosts performances and the nightly *Blizzard Time*, where imitation snow falls upon the audience!

DSCF0971 — We were blessed to be serenaded by the Concord Primary School Choir, who put up an interactive performance of popular Christmas carols!

DSCF0980 — Holga Lens Effect: the Holga lens can be attached to any camera (with the right adapter), allowing us to experiment with various filters; here, three of Damian can be seen!

DSCF1007 — Easily our most anticipated shot of the night: the lone ‘Supertree’ lit up in Christmas colours, during the *Garden Rhapsody* performance (unsurprisingly, they played songs from Frozen!)

Feasting at the Christmas Market

DSCF1083 — Churros, Lemonade and Earl Grey Tea!

DSCF1111 — ICE CREAM SANDWICH; exclusively made in Singapore by the Ice Cream and Cookies Company.

DSCF1122 — Sandra’s favourite: Cookies and Cream *mmmmmm*.

Carnival Games, Fun Times for Everyone!

DSCF1128 — A landmark attraction at the *Christmas Wonderland*, the Ice Palace houses a giant ice skating rink and a snow-themed playground!

DSCF1145 — A classic ride at every carnival!

DSCF1161 — At low shutter, even the carousel looks mesmerising!

Carnival games that you can play (to win toys for your loves ones… Which Damian did not bother to play…)

DSCF1186 — We queued up half an hour… BUT, IT WAS SO WORTH IT.

DSCF1194 — Two happy (but tired) faces at the end of the trip!

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at the Gardens! Despite the immense crowd, the boisterous atmosphere contributed to a festive mood that cannot be replicated elsewhere! There’s tons of things to do at Christmas Wonderland which we did not manage to capture (in our photos), including the Spiegeltent, Santa’s Cottage, Christmas Toyland and more; not to mention the plethora of musical performances hosted during some nights! For more information, do check out the website.

The event closes on 3rd January 2016, but surely you’ll want to catch the jolly occasion before Christmas has passed!

We leave you with our shots from the PhotoBooth!

Till next week,

Damianwithsandra