NDP bloopers over the years show how hard it is to get everything just right

The National Day Parade every year is a mega fiesta.

Months of advance preparation to get everything down pat sets the stage for the actual day's event, where all fingers are crossed in anticipation that nothing goes majorly wrong.

Kids who flipped the bird

Kids flipping the bird were all the rage this NDP 2017.

This kid got swag #SG52 pic.twitter.com/9NJcYGOvQa
— Mothership.sg (@MothershipSG) August 9, 2017

There was also another case in 2016, but it only caught on after the 2017 kid went viral:

This other kid flipping middle finger from #NDP2016 #AlmostFamous pic.twitter.com/GH7Gg5YS5k
— Mothership.sg (@MothershipSG) August 10, 2017

Here are some other instances of NDP bloopers that took place over the years via this epic thread:

Fainted

Fainted again

Hat dropped

Out of hand

Live telecast:

Repeat telecast:

Stay away, kid

Poorly subtitled

[related_story]

NDP 2000

However, the most serious blooper that happened to date was from NDP 2000.

The parade that year was at the Padang and was memorable for the wrong reasons.

Parade Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Adam Hamzah apparently forgot to order the third round of "Fire of Joy" to be shot.

The moment was broadcast live but the mistake was not acknowledged when it happened.

Click play and the video starts from 33 minutes:

"We're just coming to another high point in the ceremony and this is the "Feu de joie", "The Fire of Joy".
[First round of shots go off]
"And that was the first of three rounds, the guard of honour contingent to all fire in the air from left to right."
[Second round of shots go off]
"This is a custom that originates from French medieval practice, the firing of muskets in celebration of battle victory."
[Command to put down weapon and some in the contingent hesitate]
"No battle today, but certainly calls for celebration."
[awkward pause, commander stands still]
"What an exultation by the Guard of Honour contingents."

It's possible the late LKY noticed it, since at that moment he turned to say something to then-DPM Tony Tan:

Fascinating.

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NDP bloopers over the years show how hard it is to get everything just right

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Kids who flipped the bird