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| Singapore Travel » Singapore Information » The Hari Raya Haji Festival |
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The Hari Raya Haji Festival |
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Hari Raya Haji is a very important festival for the Muslims in Singapore.Hari Raya Haji is a 4-day long festival starting on day 10 in the holy month of Dhul Hijja according to the Islamic calendar. Hari Raya Haji is celebrated by the practicing Muslims to mark the end of their annual holy pilgrimage to Mecca. The auspicious day of Hari Raya Haji also commemorates Prophet Ibrahim's readiness to sacrifice his son Ishmael to Allah,the lord.
The festivals of Singapore are as colorful as the country. Because of its multi-ethnic nature, several religious festivals are celebrated in the country round ?the year with great fervor. Hari Raya Haji Festival is one of the most prominent religious celebrations of the people of Singapore.This is a festival celebrated by the Muslims inhabiting the country. According to the Muslim calendar, it starts on the 10th day of the auspicious month of Dhul Hijja and continues for 4 days. The festival marks the ending of the holy pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
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‘Haj’ is the largest pilgrimage in the world and practicing Muslims from different corners of the world gather at Mecca, the ‘fifth pillar’ of Islam to show their integrity to Allah. Normally, Hari Raya Haji is scheduled to be observed after 70 days of Ramadan.
The other version of the event is known as Eid al-Adha which is celebrated to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim's preparedness to sacrifice his beloved son Ishmael to Allah. Hari Raya Haji is a national holiday in Singapore.
On this day, Muslims sacrifice livestock to Allah and then their meat is distributed among the community and relatives. The poor and destitute receive foods, clothes and share of meat as the religion teaches the Muslims to share their wealth with others. Friends and relatives are also invited and visited on this day.
Normally, community prayers are conducted before the sacrificial ritual. Male volunteers normally carry out the sacrificing act at Mosques or Muslim institutes. The sacrifice needs to be done adhering to Muslim religious laws and the throat of the cow, goat or sheep is cut with a sharp knife. This act of sacrifice is popularly known as ‘Korban’.
Dates of The Hari Raya Haji festival
The Hari Raya Haji Festival will be celebrated on 26th October 2012.
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The other names for the Hari raya Haji FestivalThe Hari Raya Haji Festival is also known as the "festival of sacrifice", and in Singapore the festival is also known as the "Iduladha","Qurbani",Qurban and Haji
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An increasing number of practicing Muslims in Singapore are performing ‘Korban’ on the eve of Hari Raya Haji.
In Singapore, the fervor of the festival can be experienced in the areas of Geylang Serai and Kampong Glam. Both the areas become vibrant with shops and markets selling various types of food, clothes and decoration. Houses and entrances are decorated with religious flags, banners and festoons.
Almost 15% of the population in Singapore is Muslim and to make enough meat available for them, special shipments of livestock get imported before the celebration. These livestock are imported by state-appointed vendors who would then distribute them among the mosques and institutes.
The growing number of foreign Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have brought in their local flavors into the celebration of Hari Raya Haji which have made it an even more exciting festival in the country. These communities have their special rituals that they perform on the eve of the day.
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Hari Raya Haji Festival is celebrated after 70 days of the holy month of Ramadan.
Significance of the Hari Raya Haji Festival
Hari Raya Haji is a sacred festival of the Muslims which marks the end of their annual holy pilgrimage to the most sacred place in the Islamic religion, Mecca.
Observances of the Hari Raya Haji Festival
On this holy day Muslim congregate in the mosques to offer their prayers to the Lord and sermons are also read out there. They sacrifice sheep, goats and camels (which symbolizes Prophet Ibrahim's readiness to sacrifice his son Ishmael to the Lord, Allah) and donate the meats to the poor people. It's the day when the Muslim community's ethics and practices are perfectly observed. People pay visit to their parents, families and friends.
Rituals and Traditions of the Hari Raya Haji Festival
On this auspicious day in the Islamic calendar Muslims dress up in their best clothes and offer prayers to the Lord Allah in the mosques. They also sacrifice the best of their cattle which symbolizes the prophet Ibrahim's ready sacrifice of his son Ishmail to Allah and later distributes it to the poor and the hungry so that they can enjoy the feast on Eid-ul ¯Adha. It's a day to perform charities and the Muslims take care to see that no people remain hungry or starve on this holy day.
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