Festivals

toc =Hari Raya= Hari Raya Puasa is a very important occasion that is celebrated by Muslims all over the world; Hari Raya marks the end of one month of fasting for the Muslims. The month in which Muslims fast before Hari Raya Puasa is called Ramandan. During their fasting, the Muslims do not eat or drink for twelve hours. Only the sick and the pregnant are excused from fasting. The purpose of fasting is to remind Muslims to exercise self control and submitting themselves to Allah, the Holy One. On the morning of Hari Raya, Muslims put on new clothes and go to a mosque to pray to offer their thanks to Allah and ask forgiveness from their elders. In Singapore, places such as Geylang are lit up for this festival and also an event called Korban takes place where goats, cows, sheep and camels are sacrificed to the Muslim god, Allah. The Singapore government helps the Muslim community by importing these animals from foreign countries to allow the Muslims to celebrate this event. =﻿Chinese New Year=  =﻿Deepavali= Deepavali is a five day festival celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs. Deepavali begins between September and October and ends between October and November. Deepavali is commonly known as the “Festival of Lights” as many lights and firecrackers are illuminated during this period. The two main reasons for the celebration of Deepavali were to welcome Rama, the seventh avatar of the Supreme God Vishnu, back home after 14 years of banishment. The other was to celebrate the slaying of the demon Naraksura. The celebration of Deepavali takes place over the course of 5 days, which are, // VasuBaras, NarakaChaturdashi, LakshimiPuja, Bali Pratipada //and // Bhaiduj. //In Singapore, places such as Little India are lighted up and many activities are organized during this period to celebrate Deepavali. Schools around Singapore also celebrate Deepavali to educate the non-Hindus about the importance of Deepavali. =﻿Christmas= 