If there is one thing you will learn about Singapore from living here, it’s that the Singaporeans take Christmas SERIOUSLY. You only have to walk along Orchard Road, the heart of the city’s shopping district, to know what I mean. In front of each shopping mall are thematic holiday decorations with leaping reindeers, glittering Christmas trees, jolly elves, icy igloos with polar bears, and the list goes on. In fact, every year, there’s a contest where people vote on which shopping mall has put up the best decorations. You’d have to be a Grinch not to get into the holiday spirit when Christmas is staring at you in the face like that! What’s more, it’s a complete delight for children to visit this neighborhood. I would recommend one evening to walk along the festive street to admire the sights and and take pictures with family and friends.

While Orchard Road can boast about having the greatest concentration of “Christmassy-ness”, other localities are not far behind. Many places (malls and otherwise) set up Christmas carnivals geared towards children with games and rides, fake snow outdoors, and storytelling sessions with Santa (some good ones are at Tanglin Mall and City Square Mall). An awesome place to check out for both adults and kids alike is the Christmas Wonderland at Gardens by the Bay. It literally feels like you’ve entered a winter wonderland with dazzling set-ups, Christmas carolers, an ice-skating rink, games, rides, and a holiday market (just be sure to avoid the peak hours where it tends to get very crowded). For a dose of festive holiday atmosphere, you can also visit Chijmes which has a Christmas bazaar perfect for purchasing holiday gifts.

A couple weekends ago, I got together with fellow blogger Kamana from SocialandStyle. We dressed up in the holiday color (red, of course!) and had a blast capturing ourselves against the pretty installations along Orchard Road. The red lace jumpsuit I wore is from Style Theory, a recent startup that allows you to have an infinite wardrobe. For a reasonable monthly fee, you can pick 3 designer outfits which get delivered to your doorstop. It’s a great service and I’ve had a lot of fun experimenting with different styles and outfits so far!

Jumpsuit by Adelyn Rae from StyleTheory | Clutch from India | Shoes from Robinson's Bangkok | Bracelet from Charles & Keith