Waterloo Street Temple Suspends CNY Eve Incense Offering Event For 2nd Year, Will Close Early

Waterloo Street Temple Suspends 2022 CNY Eve Incense Offering Event

Many of our traditions, regardless of how entrenched they are, have had to change as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. One such practice is the offering of incense on Chinese New Year’s (CNY) Eve.

Due to the pandemic, the annual CNY Eve incense offering event at Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple along Waterloo Street could not happen last year.

Though Singapore is now in a better position to deal with the pandemic, it seems like the event will still be suspended, for the 2nd consecutive year.

On CNY Eve on 31 Jan, the popular temple will close its doors at 6.30pm before reopening on the 3rd day of CNY (3 Feb).

Waterloo Street Temple will reopen on 3rd day of CNY

According to Shin Min Daily News, the Waterloo Street temple will be open from 7.30am-12.30pm and 1pm-6.30pm on CNY Eve.

The temple will close for 30 minutes between 12.30pm and 1pm, likely for disinfection.

Since it will be closing early, the incense offering event that normally occurs on CNY Eve will not be happening yet again this year.

The temple will be closed on the 1st and 2nd day of CNY, and will only reopen at 7am on the 3rd day of CNY (3 Feb).

CNY Eve incense offering event suspended for 2nd consecutive year

For some devotees, being among the first to place incense in the urn at the temple is an age-old tradition.

Pre-Covid, crowds like these are not unusual at the Waterloo Temple on CNY Eve.

Source

Last year, the temple along Waterloo Street also cancelled the incense offering event on CNY Eve, citing safety concerns.

This will be the 2nd year that the temple has suspended such an iconic event.

Hope Covid-19 situation improves next year

Since we are likely on the cusp of a huge Omicron wave, the suspension of such a large-scale event perhaps isn’t too surprising.

We hope the Covid-19 pandemic will subside significantly by this time next year so we can go back to participating in traditions that we’ve grown up practising.

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Featured image adapted by MS News.