BELIEFS/CUSTOMS OF SINGAPOREAN PEOPLE Younger Singaporeans tend to combine traditional wisdom with religious beliefs introduced when the

British colonized Singapore and brought workers from across Asia. Many areas of the city are multi-ethnic, for example, South Bridge Street is home to the Sri Mariamman Temple, a south Indian Hindu temple that was declared a national historical site in the 1980s, as well as the Masjid Jamae Mosque that originally served Chulia Muslims from Indias Coromandel Coast. Mixed-race classes and social studies about respective religions helps foster interaction between students of different ethnic backgrounds and the celebration of religious festivals also helps to instill religious tolerance and understanding from a very young age. This religious enlightenment is evident in the physical sense on the streets of Singapore through the abundance of temples, mosques and churches that provide a tourism opportunity to visitors keen to experience a wealth of religious history through interesting heritage trails that span the worlds great religions, all in the space of a short walk. Prominent among these landmarks is the Armenian Church of Gregory the Illuminator, the oldest church in Singapore, which dates back to 1835. This was also the first building in Singapore to have an electricity supply when electric fans and lights were installed. Today, the church no longer holds Armenian religious services as the last Armenian priest retired decades ago. Nonetheless, the church and its grounds have been carefully preserved and various orthodox religious services are still held occasionally. Most Singaporeans celebrate the major festivals associated with their respective religions. The Chinese are predominantly followers of Buddhism and Taoism with some exceptional agnostics. Malays are mostly Muslims and Indians are mostly Hindus but with significant numbers of Muslims and Sikhs from Indian ethnic groups. Taoist, Confucianist, and Buddhist figures, together with ancestral worship, are combined into a versatile mix in Chinese traditional temples. These three religions have exerted their influence over Chinese culture and traditions since ancient times and it is sometimes difficult to tell them apart when examining Chinese heritage. A significant sector of the population, specified as 17 per cent of Singaporeans in a 2010 survey, have no religious affiliation. Non-religious Singaporeans are found in various ethnic groups and all walks of life. The Singapore non-religious community itself is very diverse, with many calling themselves atheists, agnostics, humanists, theists or skeptics. In addition, there are some people who decline religious labels but still practice traditional rituals like ancestor worship. Singapore is a secular immigrant country. The main religions in Singapore are Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Respect for different religions and personal beliefs is heavily emphasized by the government.[6] To demonstrate the importance of imparting racial harmony knowledge to the youths, schools in Singapore celebrate Racial Harmony Day on 21 July annually. Students come to school dressed in different ethic costumes, and some classes prepare performances regarding racial harmony. Religion Singapore is a multi-religious country, the roots of which can be traced to its strategic location; after its declaration as a port, a wide variety of nationalities and ethnicities from places as far as Arabia immigrated to Singapore. 33% of Singaporeans adhere to Buddhism, the main faith of the Chinese population of Singapore. Other Chinese are followers of Taoism (11%), Confucianism, and Christianity. Christians constitute about 18% of the population of Singapore. Most Malays are Muslims, who constitute about 15% of the population, while most Indians are Hindus, constituting 5%. There is also a sizable number of Muslims and Sikhs in the Indian population. As a result of this diversity, there are a large number of religious buildings including Hindu temples, churches and mosques, some of which have great historical significance. There are also some Sikh temples and Jewish synagogues. These interesting buildings often became prominent architectural landmarks in cosmopolitan Singapore. In addition, about 17% of Singaporeans do not belong to any religion and consider themselves as free-thinkers.