Thaipusam (Tamil: தைப்பூசம், Taippūcam) is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (January/February). It is celebrated not only in countries where the Tamil community constitutes a majority, but also in countries where Tamil communities are smaller, such as Singapore and Malaysia. The festival is also referred to as Thaipooyam or Thaippooyam (Malayalam: തൈപ്പൂയം, Taippūyaṁ). The word Thaipusam is derived from the month name Thai and Pusam, which refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival.
