Spending Ramadan in the comfort of our own home will surely be a different experience for all of us. While we will miss buying iftar delicacies from the Geylang Serai bazaar, shopping for Raya clothes as a family, sharing the joy of Ramadan with friends from different backgrounds, and performing our tarawih prayers at the mosque, the act of fasting and spirit of giving continues for the Muslim community across the world.
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If you’re doing your part by staying at home during the Singapore's Circuit Breaker, the National Heritage Board (NHB) has organized activities that will bring Ramadan and Raya to you! To lift your spirits, there will be many virtual ways to keep your family and friends excited for the first day of Syawal. Besides bringing everyone together virtually, it’s also a wonderful way to keep us rooted at home while remembering the significance of Ramadan and helping us feel closer to the community.
1. Iftar Together
The first thing we will miss this Ramadan is the lively iftar gatherings. Now that the Circuit Breaker is keeping everyone at home, we can’t help but miss the yummy iftars before our tarawih prayers at the mosque and quality time with our friends and loved ones. Just because you’re at home, that doesn’t mean you’ll need to have your iftar alone.
You can break fast with the community in a virtual mass Iftar organised by NHB. Besides sharing your Ramadan experience over a heart-warming meal at home, it'll also be a great opportunity to invite your friends from different backgrounds, so you can share the joy and significance of Ramadan and Raya with them!
How to join: Indicate your attendance on their Facebook event page: go.gov.sg/ramadantogether
2. Masak Together
The bright side of spending your time indoors is the opportunity to improve your cooking skills. Whether you’re preparing meals for sahur or iftar, inspiration can come from trying a new online recipe or learning to bake traditional kuihs from scratch. If you’re planning to impress your family this Ramadan, a little online help and guidance in the kitchen can help you get there.
Whether you're whipping up biryani, ondeh-ondeh or other Raya delights, you can join the virtual cooking class hosted by a famous local chef! Happening on Facebook Live, you can learn one special recipe from the online class and recreate it in your kitchen. Stay tuned to their Ramadan Together event page to find out the ingredients you need before joining the class!
How to join: Be a part of their cooking class at go.gov.sg/ramadantogether
3. Live Concert Together
We love listening and singing along to Raya songs as it puts us in the mood for festivities and celebration. If you want to bring lively music to your home, be sure to mark your calendar for Concert Together! Much better than enjoying Raya songs on your own, it's a great way to get your family in the festive mood too.
Similar to a live concert in your living room, there will be many talented local artists joining the fun. Imagine belting out classic Raya hits together with local celebs like Sezairi Sazali online!
How to join: Join the live concert session at go.gov.sg/ramadantogether
Ramadan may be different this year, but we can continue to be united by the act of fasting and spirit of giving during this holy month. It’s also a time to reflect on the beauty of Ramadan, improve our ibadah and make the best out of Ramadanwherever we are and whatever the situation may be. From enjoying virtual iftars with the community to singing along to Raya songs, it’s a good way to remind ourselves that just like home, Ramadan is where the heart is.
This article is brought to you by the National Heritage Board (NHB).
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