Background Information

By G. T.

In the 1950's to the 1980's, the saga seeds were a favourite among Singaporeans.

For children, the seeds are collected and used as game pieces in the game known as 'saga'.

For parents, the seeds can be sewn into bolsters or bean bags for their children to hug when they sleep.

For teenagers and young adults, the seeds carry a deeper meaning - Whenever their loved ones are going away on a distance trip, they will prepare a bottle of saga seeds to represent their love for the other half, and also to symbolise their in-separateness.

However, in recent years, these trends have started to die out.

Part of it could be blamed on the availability of online games and cheap bolsters; but more importantly, the saga tree and its seeds are disappearing in Singapore.

In our coverage, we will look for the elusive saga tree and its seeds, and also interview some of the older folks to have them share with us what they know about the saga seeds.