• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Go to Expat Living Hong Kong
Get our Newsletter

Lifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living HomepageLifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living

Moving to Singapore and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Singapore.

Menu
  • Living in Singapore
      • Living here
      • Neighbourhood Guides
      • Schools
      • Property
      • Work And Business
      • Finance
      • For Guys
      • Environment
        • UFIT TennisOutdoor activities – group fitness classes, tennis, cycling etc.
        • feng shui focus lucy richardsonExpat Journey: Lucy Richardson
        • Forbidden Hill fathers day gifts15 Fabulous Father’s Day Gifts and Things to Do
        • weddingTop 20 wedding venues in Singapore, for all sorts of couples
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things to do
      • EL Events
      • Calendar
      • Competitions
      • Noticeboard
        • Muswell Hill comedy Pangdemonium dinner partyPangdemonium brings Muswell Hill to Singapore
        • looking for clues treasure hunt time heistWin big in the Civic District treasure hunt
        • As You Were ArtworksWhat’s on this week and beyond
        • The National Stadium - Sports Hub Best venues for concertsTheatres in Singapore plus venues for events & concerts!
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Enrichment
      • Kids Things To Do
      • Mums & Babies
      • Schools
      • Tots & Toddlers
      • Tweens & Teens
        • pre & post baby items cleaning by pramwashWhen did you last clean the baby pram?
        • Nexus International School students reading in library learning experienceLearning for the Future at Nexus
        • Forbidden Hill fathers day gifts15 Fabulous Father’s Day Gifts and Things to Do
        • fishing 3aHoliday fun and outdoor activities at this Adventure Camp
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Decor
      • Readers’ Homes
      • Furniture
        • feng shui focus lucy richardsonExpat Journey: Lucy Richardson
        • European bedding best mattressBest mattresses for the best sleep!
        • antique furniture singaporeAntique furniture shops – plus vintage and reproduction furniture!
        • Where to buy lamps in SingaporeWhere to buy lamps in Singapore – lights galore!
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Asia
      • Australia & New Zealand
      • Rest Of World
      • News
      • Travel Offers
        • ideas for a long weekend awayPlan ahead for that long weekend away!
        • international health insuranceProtecting your health overseas in 2022
        • Krabi Thailand beachfront villas for beach holiday in ThailandBeachfront villas in Krabi Thailand – perfect for your next beach holiday!
        • New ZealandYour mini guide to New Zealand
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Asian Cuisine
      • Western Cuisine
      • Bars & Clubs
      • Groceries & Speciality Services
      • Recipes & Classes
        • Pizza12 great places to get the best pizza in Singapore
        • Farmers market - butcher - meat shopTop butchers for good-quality meat
        • Sugarhall DaquriLatest bars in Singapore: New drinking spots!
        • M&S Meat Free NuggetsPlant-based nuggets – here’s what we think!
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
      • Beauty Offers
        • hydrating products skinTried and tested: Hydrating Products for Dry Skin
        • ARIANE ZAGURY 2A Curated Fashion House for All
        • Frizz TreatmentIn need of a quick fix for frizzy hair?
        • Spray tan singaporeGet a golden glow quickly with a spray tan!
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Dental
      • Fitness
      • Medical
      • Wellness
        • injuries to hip and hamstring injuriesInjuries to hip muscles & hamstring injuries – how to treat them!
        • UFIT TennisOutdoor activities – group fitness classes, tennis, cycling etc.
        • overweightWeight gain and your health – How a GP can help
        • PainWhat is pain and how do you treat it?
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • PRINT MAGAZINE
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINE
    • BOOKS
    • Close

Ramadan in Singapore: The Basics

4th May 2021 by Expat Living 3 Min Read

https://expatliving.sg/what-is-ramadan-living-in-singapore/

By Hannah Griffiths (intern from Tanglin Trust School) 

Each year, on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, you’ll see mosques packed full of people every evening, then, once the sun has set, these same people filling up restaurants and food bazaars (though sadly not this year on account of COVID-19). If you haven’t been living in Singapore long, you might have been wondering: what is going on? The answer is simple. Muslims all over the world, including Singapore, are observing Ramadan! If you’re not sure exactly what it entails, don’t worry – by the end of this article, you’ll certainly know your iftar from your suhur.

Ramadan feast

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. However, if you’ve heard the term before, you probably know it as the holy month of fasting in Islam. You may also have heard it called Eid, but that’s not actually correct – Eid (or to be precise, Eid al-Fitr) is the day that Ramadan ends.

When is it?

As mentioned, it takes place during the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. However, the dates of this aren’t set in stone. They go by the lunar calendar, which changes each year and relates to the monthly cycles of the moon. The Judicial High Court in Saudi Arabia declares when Ramadan starts, but some prefer to go by their own sighting of the new moon at the start of the ninth month. Different countries tend to start on different days, depending on visibility and weather conditions. 

Why does it happen?

Of course, all of this doesn’t happen for no reason – Ramadan is a period of self-restraint, in line with sawm (which means ‘to restrain’ in Arabic), one of the pillars of Islam. As well as this, Muslims believe that Allah forgives the past sins of those who observe the holy month faithfully.

How does it work?

You would be forgiven for thinking that Ramadan involves just refraining from eating and drinking, but that’s not actually the whole of it. It also involves the obligation to refrain from sexual activity and immoral behaviour, including unkind thoughts and deeds, between dawn and dusk. Breaking these commitments would have the same implications as eating or drinking during daylight.

What happens daily during Ramadan?

  • As soon as the sun sets, Muslims break their fast with a meal called iftar. Shortly after the regular sunset prayers, this meal is shared with friends and extended family, usually at the mosque or at home, and it begins with the traditional dates or apricots and water or sweetened milk.
  • Extra prayers happen at night, called tarawih prayers. These are performed in addition to the five prayers performed daily throughout the year. Ideally, they should be done at the mosque in a congregation, but they can happen at home too. Over the course of the month, the entire Quran may be recited during these prayers.
  • Finally, just before the sun rises, the pre-dawn meal is eaten, called suhur. It has to be a big meal, and as nutritious as possible – you can’t do much about it if you get peckish during the day!

Ramadan food spread

  • In order to cope with the extra prayers and meals, some Muslim-majority countries change or reduce their working hours. In Singapore, flexi-time or reduced time is available, but unfortunately isn’t implemented nation-wide.

What happens at the end?

At the end of such a tough month, you might expect an extravagant celebration – and you would be completely right. Eid al-Fitr (known better in Singapore as Hari Raya Puasa) is celebrated at the end of Ramadan. Muslims wake up early in the morning and visit the mosque, to thank God for all that He has given them. People then go home and gather as family groups, exchanging gifts, visiting the graves of ancestors and eating delicious meals. Children dress in new clothes and women dress in white. It’s a joyous celebration for all!

Kampong Glam

For more helpful tips, head to our Living in Singapore section.

Expat Living

Expat Living has everything to help you make the most of living in Singapore! We've got information on neighbourhoods, things to do and see, dining, entertainment, schools, travel, fashion, furniture, finance, health and beauty. And more!

Get the latest events, stories and special offers
sent to your inbox.

By signing up, you'll receive our weekly newsletters and offers, which you can unsubscribe to anytime.

Categories: Living here Living in Singapore Tags: Hari Raya Living In Singapore Muslim Ramadan

You May Also Like

feng shui focus lucy richardson

Expat Journey: Lucy Richardson

finfluencer financial scammers

Scammers and finfluencers!

sports schools in singapore students jumping sack sports activities

Discover the sports programme at this international school

Primary Sidebar

  • Competitions
  • Noticeboard
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2022 Expat Living Singapore, All Rights Reserved.