Chapter Five. Traditional Chinese Customs And Rites

Abstract

The majority of studies on religion in Singapore tend to be ethnographic or historical studies, and there have been very few quantitative studies. This is even more so for the study of Chinese religion. In order to have a clearer understanding of the changes in the practice of Chinese religion, a national survey was carried out to map out the practice of Chinese rituals and religious practices in Singapore. The survey collected data on worship activities at home and in public places, the calendrical ritual practices of the Chinese, the key rites of passage rituals, including birth, marriage and death rituals, as well the calendrical festivals carried out by the Chinese in Singapore. One of the key focuses of the study was to examine the effects of a rapidly modernizing society on traditional Chinese religion. This chapter provides a profile of the religious practices of the Chinese.Keywords: calendrical festivals; Chinese rituals; religious practices; Singapore; traditional Chinese religion; worship activities