With Eid upon us, the many nationalities present in the UAE start preparing to celebrate the end of Ramadan in their own unique ways. In the case of Singapore's Muslims, ‘Hari Raya Aid ul-Fitri' as it's known is primarily a family affair.
Ahmad Fouad, a Singaporean father of two, told Gulf News: "The first day of Eid is reserved for the family.
"On the first day we make sure to visit the eldest member of the family, be it a grandparent or elder sibling, and spend the day at their house."
This is often done in their traditional Eid outfits, the baju melayu for men and baju kurung for women. "It is also important in our culture that we ask for forgiveness from our elders, for any wrong we might have done or said to them."
The holiday signals the cooking of a specific kind of meal.
Ketupat, a rice cake wrapped in coconut leaves and boiled, is a must-have dish during Eid celebrations among Singaporeans, and is often eaten with other dishes like beef rendang, a slow-cooked dry curry; or sayur lodeh, a coconut-based gravy cooked with vegetables.
"Ninety-nine per cent of Singaporean Muslim households will be having this on Eid," said Fouad, for added emphasis.
An employee of a petroleum company in the UAE, Fuad has been living in Dubai for 25 years, and tries his best to continue celebrating Eid the Singaporean way.
"There are around 200 Muslim Singaporeans in Dubai," he said. "We try to have an open house every year to harness a spirit of togetherness in the community, and create a traditional atmosphere; not just with Singaporeans, but Malaysians and Indonesians, too, bachelors and families; friends we consider our family."
Fouad himself, spent his last Eid in Singapore back in 1991, his two daughters have never experienced it there themselves, such is their commitment to being able to provide an authentic Singaporean Eid to the many South East Asian Muslims resident in the UAE.
Tradition
- Baju Melayu and Baju Kurung — traditional Eid clothes for men and women.
- Ketupat - A rice cake wrapped in coconut leaves and boiled.
- Beef Rendang — A slow-cooked dry preparation (above).
- Sayur Lodeh — A coconut-based gravy with vegetables.
