Singapore
On a normal work day, 2025 Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipient Mr Zamiq Azmeer bin Borhanudin (Law ’18) is focused on empowering the Malay/Muslim community. The lawyer, mentor and community advocate reveals what drives him when celebrating Hari Raya in Singapore.
Name your favourite Hari Raya snack.
My favourite Hari Raya snack is tart gulung strawberry (rolled strawberry tarts).
How is Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrated in Singapore?
At the outset, Hari Raya Aidilfitri in Singapore is celebrated by Muslims as a festival to mark the end of Ramadan. It is usually observed in these ways:
- Morning prayers: It begins with morning prayers on the first day where Muslims attend special Hari Raya prayers at mosques, such as at Sultan Mosque.
- Seeking forgiveness: Family members greet each other with “Selamat Hari Raya” and ask forgiveness by saying “Maaf Zahir dan Batin” (“I seek forgiveness for my outward and inward wrongdoings”).
- Visiting relatives and friends: Families visit homes and hold open houses. This usually begins with visiting the homes of the elders/eldest, such as great grandparents or grandparents or the oldest sibling.
- Eating festive food: Traditional dishes like ketupat, rendang, and kuih-muih (e.g. pineapple tarts, kuih lapis, etc) are served.
- Giving “green packets”: Elders give money to children as a festive gift and there are young working adults who also give money to the elderly, especially the retired ones, as a form of gratitude.
- Festive bazaars and lights: Areas like Geylang Serai are decorated with lights and markets before the festival where folks would go to bask in the atmosphere and try new/viral and popular dishes.
In summary, the celebration focuses on prayer, forgiveness, family gatherings, and sharing food with others.
Do you have your own unique tradition for Hari Raya?
Yes, I do have a personal unique tradition. After the morning prayers on the first day of Hari Raya and provided that the weather permits, I head to the Eu Tong Sen Building at the NUS Bukit Timah Campus, which formerly housed NUS Law, to take a photograph of myself with my car. I make it a point to dress in traditional attire in a colour that matches my car, which makes the photo a little more special. It has become a small but meaningful way for me to mark the occasion each year since I bought my car in 2021.
What is your favourite thing about the Hari Raya festivities?
My favourite part of the Hari Raya festivities is the reunion meals with my extended family. It’s a special time when we can reconnect with relatives we don’t see often, share traditional dishes, and enjoy each other’s company.
Give us your best Raya OOTD!
Rome
2019 Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipient Ms Selly Amalina Muzammil (Arts & Social Sciences ’09) is based in Rome, working at the United Nations’ World Food Programme, where she continues with her lifelong mission to fight hunger globally.
Name your favourite Hari Raya snack.
Traditional kuih, sagu, keju, kahk (egyptian shortbread) are top on my list.
How is Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrated in Rome?
In my case, I celebrate the first day of Raya with the Indonesian community at the Indonesian Embassy. People will also go to the Grand Mosque (Grande Moschea) for the Eid prayer.
Do you have your own unique traditions to celebrate Hari Raya?
Cooking and hosting! I love making typical Raya dishes and cookies and having family and friends over at our home for Eid Open House to celebrate with Indonesian Eid treats and cuisine (ketupat sayur, rendang, sambal goreng ati). I have done this in every place we lived – Amman, Cairo, New York City and now Rome.
What is your favourite thing about the Hari Raya festivities?
Togetherness, sense of community, great meals, taste of home!
Give us your best Raya OOTD!
Indonesia
Ms Nur Hafishah Marsden (Arts & Social Sciences ’05) started the Arden Project in mid-2020 in Indonesia, a community-building social enterprise committed to educating and empowering youths from underprivileged backgrounds. She shares her favourite moments during the Hari Raya season while in Indonesia.
What is your favourite Hari Raya snack that you enjoy during Hari Raya celebrations?
Popiah goreng (the small ones), cookies—especially London almond cookies and suji cookies and pineapple tarts. I think the best part of Raya is of course the Hari Raya breakfast: lontong with kuah lodeh (vegetables in coconut milk), rendang, sambal goreng, and my mum makes perkedel (fried potato patties) as well. High calorie count but nothing can beat this Raya special combo. And I have aunties who make biryani and that is really awesome. I think the best part of going Raya visiting is to eat all the special food that has been so lovingly prepared by all the makciks (aunties).
How is Hari Raya Aidilfitri typically celebrated in Indonesia?
Many families who are in Jakarta go back to their villages. Unlike in Singapore where Hari Raya is celebrated for one month, in Indonesia they celebrate it for just one to three days. Hari Raya Eve is very jubilant. There are displays of fireworks and Raya Eve is really when houses start cooking all the festive food.
The next day, they visit their relatives’ houses and have lots of food. Kids from the villages will go around the village with a group of friends to collect money from different houses. So that is a nice thing for my kids as well, who tail along with the local kids to wish everyone ‘Selamat Hari Raya’ and collect green packets!
As someone from a different faith background, have you developed any personal ways of participating in Hari Raya?
I live in a Muslim country, and my friends and neighbours are Muslims, so I celebrate the same way as them. I love Ramadan and Hari Raya because I get to buy all the lovely food at the bazaars and I get to order all the Raya cookies which I alone will finish even before Hari Raya starts! My parents in Singapore celebrate Hari Raya, so during the years when I go back to Singapore during the Hari Raya period, I celebrate the way they celebrate.
What aspect of the Hari Raya festivities resonates most with you?
The aspect of Hari Raya that resonates most with me is that it celebrates the completion of one month of fasting during Ramadan. Ramadan is a time of spiritual cleansing, self-discipline, and reflection. For a whole month, Muslims practise patience, gratitude, and kindness towards others. Hari Raya feels very meaningful because it marks the end of this spiritual journey and reminds us of the values we have learned during the month.
I also really appreciate the time spent with family during Hari Raya. Families visit each other, share meals, and ask for forgiveness. It is a time to strengthen relationships and reconnect with loved ones. The spirit of generosity is also very special during this celebration, as people share food, give duit raya (green packets), and open their homes to guests. All these elements together make Hari Raya a celebration that is not only joyful but also deeply meaningful.
Share your best Raya-inspired outfit!
Main Photo: (L to R): Mr Zamiq Azmeer bin Borhanudin, Ms Selly Amalina Muzammil and Ms Nur Hafishah Marsden.
