Hari Raya Puasa is the most prominent of all Muslim festivals in Singapore. Also known as Eid-ul-Fitr, Hari Raya Puasa is a celebratory occasion following a month of fasting. According to the Muslim calendar, Hari Raya Puasa falls on the first month of the Muslim month of Shawal, which is the tenth month of the Muslim calendar.
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam observed by all Muslims. Ramadan is the month of fasting for Muslims, which falls during the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, Syawal. During Ramadan, Muslims are to abstain from food, drink, and all other sensual pleasures from the break of dawn to dusk. They are encouraged to be charitable and forgiving. The fast is compulsory for all Muslims except for the sick, pregnant women, and the very young children. The idea of fasting is to make Muslims more aware of the sufferings of the poor.
Preparations for the celebration of Hari Raya Puasa take place during Ramadan. Many Muslims usually visit Geylang Serai to shop for new clothes, shoes, flowers and food. Temporary stalls are also set up during this period, selling a wide range of goodies, clothes, carpets and so on. Generally, a week prior to Hari Raya Puasa, Muslim homes are spring-cleaned and nicely decorated.
Some families also start to prepare special dishes for the grand feast, for example, sticky sweetmeats made of milk, almonds and pistachios. An important traditional food prepared is “Ketupat” – rice dumplings wrapped in coconut leaves. Ketupat-making symbolises a spirit of cooperation, as Ketupat-weaving and cooking encourages closeness among the people.
On Hari Raya Puasa, Muslims dress in their best clothes and attend a special Eid prayer performed in congregation. Children (both single and married) must pay their respects to their elders and seek forgiveness and blessings for the new year. Children and the elderly are also given gifts of money, known as duit raya. These are given in small decorated envelopes, similar to the “hongbaos” that the Chinese give during Chinese New Year.