Halloween in Singapore

By Susan Williams

Halloween is a perennial favorite of kids in America, and who can blame them? It’s the one day you’re allowed to take candy from strangers, all while dressed up as your favorite person, animal, or character (or sometimes even object – I still remember the year my brother dressed up as a school bus!). Halloween has gained popularity in Singapore, particularly in the Woodlands neighborhood near Singapore American School, with its relatively high concentration of American families.

Before Covid, Halloween night was a sight to behold on the small streets running through the Woodlands. The roads would be shut down to traffic as hordes of people, children and adults alike, would weave through, going house to house for candy. The large houses of the neighborhood would be intricately decorated, with some residents going all out with sound effects and smoke machines. A friend who lives in the area gave out 5,000 pieces of candy one year, giving only one piece per person! Other neighborhoods also typically host trick-or-treating on a smaller scale in non-Covid times, including Mimosa Park, Dunearn Estates, and many larger condo developments.

While we may not be able to go trick-or-treating this year, there is still plenty of fun to be had. Read on for your guide to Halloween in Singapore.

Costumes

If your child has decided early enough what they want to be for Halloween, you can always order online from sites like Amazon or Lazada. But what if they have left it to the week before Halloween? Spotlight already has a large range of costumes and decorations on display. If you’re more of a DIYer and just need a few accents, you

can try Daiso and their selection of decorations and accessories. If you’re after something more intricate, check out Ministry of Costumes or Party With Us. For something custom-made, try Awesome Costumes.

What To Do

As always, events are subject to change due to shifting covid-related restrictions. There are lots of ways to celebrate Halloween without the trick-or-treating.

Join AAS for a day (or just the night) of fun at Universal Studios Singapore! We have an exclusive package that includes admission to the park, dinner, the chance to enter our costume contest, a Trail of Treats, and the Halloween Horror Nights Exhibition.

If murder mysteries are more your thing, check out the escape room-esque Murder at Old Changi Hospital. The augmented reality experience puts you in the role of a paranormal investigator trying to solve a murder.

Those yearning for a fright can find it at SuperSpook, a Halloween-themed session at SuperPark Singapore. It boasts three scare zones for ages 13 and up.

Ghost hunters will find plenty of places around Singapore reported to be haunted by pontianaks, the spirits of deceased women in Southeast Asian folklore. Some of these areas include Sungei Api Api and Pasir Ris Park; the Nee Soon Rubber Estate near Sembawang; Old Tampines Road; Kubur Kassim, an old Malay cemetery; and Bukit Brown Cemetery.

For a more child-friendly experience, head to S.E.A. Aquarium for an event featuring the cast of Pinkfong’s Baby Shark. Or get faces painted and enjoy other crafts at Craneum: A Crane Halloween.

Whatever you do on Halloween, you can rest assured that this American tradition has been firmly planted in Singapore. And once we get past Covid, the celebrations will be bigger and better than ever.