National Day Celebrations
Singapore 9th August 2010
Today, on my arrival back in Singapore, it is national day, the day that Singapore celebrates its birth as a nation, now 45 years ago. Though a tiny nation with relatively little history, the national day celebrations bring people together and create a moment to reflect on the nations incredible achievements. They have much to be proud of.
Which made me think of lighting and whether we should have some national lighting day? Lighting has come a long way, but what could constitute the start of lighting as we know it? The first oil lamp or candle? The first electric light bulb?
It was in the 17th century that Sir Isaac Newton proposed the theory that electricity consisted of little particles with further scientists of the time subsequently confirming the generally accepted wave theory for electricity. He also studied the relation between light and colour. Or even before Newton there was Leonardo Da Vinci who experimented with reflections, refractions and mirrors. But generally Thomas Edison is being credited for commercializing the first electric lamp when he set up his Edison Electric Light company in 1878.
So what could we celebrate on a yearly basis? What date would be a relevant date to all. The problem is that there have been many relevant date and choosing one is likely to upset protagonists of other dates. So maybe it should be a universal date related to nature. Should we celebrate the longest day as the day of light? But that would mean the shortest day for people on the other hemisphere. Or maybe we should celebrate both? We celebrate light and darkness, one can’t exist without the other.
Let me know if any of you have any suggestion. I think we should celebrate light somehow…
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