KUCHING: This year’s Kuching City Christmas Parade will place strong emphasis on the message behind its theme, ‘The Season of Love and Hope’ (Musim Cinta dan Harapan), highlighting joy, peace, mercy and the spirit of sharing kindness with the community.
Secretary-General of the Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS), Ambrose Linang, said the theme reflects the essence of Christmas and serves as a reminder of the shared responsibility between the churches, the community and the government in fostering goodwill and unity.
“It is about Christmas in our hearts. It is about how we receive and share kindness and goodwill with the people around us,” he said during a briefing at the ACS Building here today.
More than 7,000 Christians representing 72 churches will take part in the parade, which will be held this coming Saturday (December 6), making it one of Kuching’s largest and most vibrant street events.
Ambrose also called on the people of Kuching to embrace harmony, solidarity and acceptance in the city’s diverse landscape, in line with the spirit of ‘Segulai Sejalai’.
“Diversity is strength, diversity is beautiful, and diversity is ‘delicious’ among all the people of Kuching and Sarawak. This is our shared city and our shared state,” he said.
He urged the public not to allow racial polarisation or religious extremism to undermine the social fabric, adding that Kuching has long been recognised as a City of Unity.
The parade will begin at 6:00 pm at the MBKS Jubilee Ground, followed by praise and worship, before participants embark on a four-kilometre route passing through major streets, including Jalan Padungan, the Kuching Waterfront, Lebuh Temple, and Jalan Ban Hock, before returning to the starting point.
Participants are encouraged to prepare small Christmas gifts for distribution to the public at 8:00 pm.
This year’s parade will also feature five Boys’ Brigade musical bands and 15 colourful Christmas floats showcasing nativity themes, angels, shepherds, wise men and other festive displays.
The floats will gather at St Peter’s Church, Padungan, for public viewing after the parade.
On the same day, ACS branches in Miri and Bintulu will also hold their respective city Christmas parades, while Serian, Mukah and Samarahan branches will stage theirs on December 7, with other branches to follow at later dates.
