Celebrating Hari Raya in Singapore

Here in Singapore, Muslims celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Hari Raya Haji.   Hari Raya Adilfitri falls on 28 July while Hari Raya Haji falls on 5 October in 2014. The exact dates differ each year as they depend on the lunar Islamic calendar.


Hari Raya Aidilfitri

Hari Raya Aidilfitri (also known as Hari Raya Puasa, or Eid al-Fitr in Arabic) marks the end of Ramadan, a month-long period of fasting and abstinence called the month of Ramadan. The Ramadan is a month of worship and compassion. During the month, friends and families gather to break the fast with evening prayers and meals after sunset.


Here in Singapore, no effort is spared to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Much like the Chinese during Chinese New Year, Muslims across the country dress up in new clothes to visit their relatives. Families whip up yummy food and snacks for their families and friends. If you’ve got Muslim friends, they’ll be likely to share some of their festival goodies with you! During this joyous festival, the streets of Geylang Serai, Kampong Glam and some neighbourhoods are alive with street markets where colourfully lit stalls packed with food, festive goods and traditional clothes at bazaars will be open from early afternoon till late at night.

When Hari Raya Aidilfitri comes around, it is common to greet your Muslim friends with “Selamat Hari Raya”, which means “Happy Hari Raya” in Malay!


Hari Raya Haji

Hari Raya Haji or Eid Al-Adha is also known as the Festival of Sacrifice. This Muslim festival commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in the name of God.

Hari Raya Haji marks the end of Hajj, the largest annual pilgrimage in the world. The Hajj is a required religious duty for Muslim adults and must be carried out at least once a lifetime as long as they are physically and financially capable. Every year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims converge on the Holy Land of Mecca to perform a series of symbolic rituals. The journey is known to be tough, so significant amounts of preparations and sacrifices are often made to perform the Hajj.

A day of sacrifice and charity, Muslims make every effort to see that no one remains hungry on this holy day. In Singapore, Muslims go to mosques for prayers and donate to charity. Some mosques will sacrifice sheep, and the meat is then distributed to the needy.

 

Search Articles

Log in or create an account

Search