The Truth Behind Army Mass Blessings

Transcript

We’ve all heard our fair share of army ghost stories, thanks to credible sources such as our sister’s friend’s ex-boyfriend.

Fortunately for our army boys, one urban legend provides them comfort in the darkest of nights. It is a tale of the protective powers of our army crest, issued to every Singapore son.

Legend has it that the crest on every soldier’s beret is blessed by the leaders of the 4 main religions in Singapore.

It’s even said that if one of your platoonmates gets possessed, hitting him on the head with your beret will do the trick. Is this fact or fiction? We investigate the myth of the mass blessings on army crests.

Imagine this: A circle of religious leaders chanting their blessings around a pile of newly manufactured army crests. More practical Singaporeans believe that the stamps used in the production process are blessed instead of each individual crest.

Because of the blessing, the crests’ powers are so formidable that it puts the Infinity Stones to shame.

Firstly, blessing culture is a very real phenomenon in Singapore. Since 2008, religious leaders have blessed the Marina Circuit yearly to make sure the Formula One Night Race goes on without a hitch.

In 2017, religious leaders blessed the Downtown Line and Tuas Link MRT station on 3 separate occasions.

In the army, every year during the SAF Day Parade, all the army flags are blessed during a ceremony called “The Consecration of the Colours”.

During the ceremony, the Colours will be draped over an altar built with a pile of drums. After which, prayers are read. The Consecration of the Colours is an old-school tradition. Singapore picked up the practice from the British, whose “Trooping the Colour” tradition goes all the way back to the 17th century.

But Singapore’s ceremony is slightly unique. The flags are blessed by a whopping total of 10 religious leaders from the Inter-Religious Organisation.

At every OCS Commissioning Parade, this wholesome group also conducts mass prayers for the graduating batch of Officer Cadets. Clad in their ceremonial attire, they bless the soldiers with good luck and readiness for leadership.

So we would think this culture follows through with our army crests right? Sadly, this legend is just hearsay. No matter how hard we dug, we couldn’t find any concrete evidence supporting this legend.

The legend could’ve been circulated to boost the morale of fresh-off-the-tekong-boat NSFs. And maybe even to help them muster the guts for that late-night guard duty.

For those who are more pantang, there’s no harm sleeping with your beret every night. But you heard it from us first that this myth, is busted.

For those disheartened by the lack of spirit-repelling power in your beret crest, don’t be. In many ways, the Singapore army and those in service are still blessed for #Good Vibes Only.

Even then, remember that all you actually need is your rifle and your buddy.