Many of us will remember looking forward to Children's Day when we were in school and with good reason too. We would receive various small gifts from teachers as if it was one massive and shared birthday.
School hours would be shortened and whatever hours left were spent cheering our strictest teachers on, while they put up some sort of dance or skit for us. Nothing could have been more amusing at that age.
For me personally, the Children's Day song "Semoga Bahagia" is the one thing that brings back the best memories of this day.
This Children's Day, we briefly look back on the very first Children's Day and check out the song that defines it's meaning.
The very first Children's Day
Children's Day has been celebrated in Singapore since 23 October 1961, when the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced, that approximately 37,000 school-going children would be celebrating it for the first time. The date chosen was in line with the United Nation's Children Day. It has been earmarked as a school holiday since.
The itinerary for that very first Children's Day went like this :
Morning session = 0745 - 0945 hrs
Afternoon session = 1000 - 1200 hrs
- Singing the Children's Day song (Semoga Bahagia)
- Principals delivered a special message from the Minister of Education, Mr Yong Nyuk Lin
- Announcement of the names of pupils who receiving honours for outstanding achievements
- Concerts, activities, games, etc.
This tradition has stayed strong among Singapore schools.
Semoga Bahagia
The Ministry of Education had a Children's Day song composed, written by Zubir Said (who also wrote Singapore's national anthem - Majulah Singapore).
We're providing the Malay lyrics with an English translation here. We don't want you to miss out on the beautiful and inspirational lyrics of our Children's Day song.
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Malay lyrics
Semoga Bahagia
- Sama-sama maju ke hadapan
Pandai cari pelajaran
Jaga diri dalam kesihatan
Serta sopan-santun dengan kawan-kawan
Dengan hati bersih serta suci
Sama-sama hormat dan berbudi
Jaga tingkah pemuda-pemudi
Adat dan budaya junjung tinggi
Capailah lekas cita-cita pemudi-pemuda
Supaya kita ada harga di mata dunia
Kalau kita lengah serta lupa
Hidup kita sia-sia
Jiwa besar sihat serta segar
Rajin dengan sabar tentu bahagia
Lemah lembut perangai pemudi
Cergas tangkas wataknya pemuda
Suka rela selalu berbakti
Sikap yang pembela dan berjasa
Capailah nama yang mulia pemudi-pemuda
Rajinlah supaya berjaya semoga bahagia
English translation
- May You Achieve Happiness
Together we progress onward
Clever at seeking knowledge
Take care of your health
And be courteous to your friends
With a heart that is clean and pure
Together we respect and do good
Watch your behaviour, oh youths
Customs and cultures, hold them high
Quickly reach your ambitions, oh youths
So that we'll have our worth, in the eyes of the world
If we are lazy and forgetful
Our lives are for nothing
A good soul, a healthy and fresh mind
Hard work and patience, definitely brings happiness
Soft-spoken is the lady
Energetic and tenacious is the man
Charitable, always contributing
Protecting and giving service
Attain a respectable position, oh youths
Be hardworking so that you will succeed, may you achieve happiness
theAsianparent.com wishes all children a very Happy Children's Day!
Click this video to watch Semoga Bahagia and parents, I know you can sing along to this.