Hari Raya Puasa, which is also known as Hari Raya Aidilfitri or Eid al-Fitr, will traditionally fall on the first day of Shawal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar.

The exact day varies each year and depends on the lunar calendar. This year, the celebration will fall on May 3.

On Hari Raya Puasa, Muslims will typically begin their day by visiting a mosque to pray. While Covid-19 restrictions have been loosened, you will still need to book a slot before heading down to a mosque this year.

According to The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), the booking window for Hari Raya prayer slots will open on April 28 at 10 am. You can book for prayers on April 29, Hari Raya and Isyak. For prayers on May 3, there will be a total of 153,250 spaces across 66 mosques.

Each mosque will be offering at least two sessions of Hari Raya prayers, with the first happening between 7.30 am and 8.15 am and the second from 8.45 am to 9.30 am.

There are 15 mosques in Singapore that will likely hold a third session between 10 am and 10.45 am that will also accept walk-ins. The list of mosques holding three sessions can be found here.

Those celebrating will then head out to visit friends and relatives and enjoy good food and company. They will typically visit the elders in the family to ask for forgiveness and to spend time with them first. 

During the celebration, relatives and family will typically give out green packets, particularly to younger members of the family as well as to the elders. The green packets are also known as sampul duit raya and they typically contain money. 

Traditionally, sweets and coins were distributed during Hari Raya Puasa and green packets are more of a modern development, according to Roots, which is run by the National Heritage Board.

On this day, Muslims typically greet each other by saying “Eid Mubarak”, which means “Have a blessed holiday”, and “Selamat Hari Raya, maaf zahir dan batin”, which means “Happy Hari Raya; I seek forgiveness for any physical and emotional wrongdoings.” This is because the day is about forgiveness.

If you are not confident in speaking Malay though, don’t worry because saying “Eid Mubarak” or “Selamat Hari Raya” is quite common and will certainly be appreciated.

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