Hari Raya in Singapore 2020
The 2020 dates for Hari Raya Puasa (Aidilfitri) and Hari Raya Haji (Aidiladha), what was specific to this year, and the Ramadan month that leads up to Aidilfitri.
In 2020, Hari Raya Puasa (Aidilfitri) falls on Sunday, 24 May 2020 and Hari Raya Haji (Aidiladha) on Friday, 31 July 2020, both gazetted public holidays in Singapore.
Sunday, 24 May 2020
Aidilfitri marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. It is the larger of the two Hari Raya celebrations, and its date is confirmed by moon-sighting.
Monday, 25 May 2020
The day in lieu. The festival itself fell on the Sunday, so under the Employment Act the following Monday was gazetted as the public holiday.
Friday, 31 July 2020
Aidiladha, the festival of sacrifice, marks the end of the Haj pilgrimage. Its date is set by the Islamic calendar and confirmed by moon-sighting.
The Hari Raya nobody spent at the mosque
Aidilfitri 2020 fell on Sunday 24 May, inside the circuit breaker, and it is the only Hari Raya in the gazetted run that was not marked in a mosque. Mosques were closed, so the takbir on the eve was recited at home, led by the Mufti and asatizah over YouTube Live on SalamSG TV, which MUIS noted was a first for Singapore. The same advisory asked people to defer visits to other households, including to elderly relatives, unless care-giving required it (MUIS, 15 May 2020).
Because 24 May was a Sunday, the day off moved: Monday 25 May was gazetted as Hari Raya Puasa (Observed), which is why the 2020 list carries a third Hari Raya entry alongside the two festivals.
By Hari Raya Haji on Friday 31 July, mosques had reopened for limited prayer. Sixty-five mosques ran two or three sessions each, offering 8,750 slots in total, booked from 1pm on 27 July through the MuslimSG app. Congregants over 60, children under 12 and anyone unwell were asked to stay away, and the Office of the Mufti accepted prayer at home instead (MUIS, 24 July 2020). That figure is the one to hold on to. The same prayer in 2026 was given about 240,000 spaces.
How the 2020 dates sat in the calendar
| Hari Raya Puasa | Hari Raya Haji | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, 24 May | Friday, 31 Jul |
| Days off in a row, five-day week | 3 (23 May to 25 May) | 3 (31 Jul to 2 Aug) |
| Nearest other public holiday | Vesak Day, 17 days earlier | National Day, 9 days later |
| Moves to 2021 | 11 days earlier | 11 days earlier |
The two fell 68 days apart in 2020. That interval is not fixed: Aidilfitri is 1 Syawal and Aidiladha is 10 Zulhijjah, and the two Islamic months in between can each run 29 or 30 days, so the gap moves between about 67 and 70 days. The year-to-year shift is the same arithmetic on a larger scale, and the guide to why the date keeps moving explains how MUIS fixes it.
Hari Raya Puasa, Sunday. Falling on a Sunday, the rest day for most, it rolls forward: the following Monday is gazetted as the public holiday instead. MOM sets out both rules.
Ramadan 2020
Ramadan, the month of fasting, runs for roughly 29 to 30 days before Hari Raya Puasa, so in 2020 it begins around 24 Apr and ends at Aidilfitri on 24 May.
That start is worked back from the gazetted Aidilfitri date, not gazetted itself. MUIS announces the confirmed start the evening before the month begins, so it can differ by a day. For daily sahur and iftar times, use a dedicated prayer-times source. The Ramadan page covers how the month is observed here.
Common questions
When is Hari Raya Puasa in 2020?
Hari Raya Puasa (Aidilfitri) falls on Sunday, 24 May 2020, a gazetted public holiday in Singapore.
When is Hari Raya Haji in 2020?
Hari Raya Haji (Aidiladha) falls on Friday, 31 July 2020, 68 days after Aidilfitri.
Is there a day off in lieu for Hari Raya in 2020?
Hari Raya Puasa falls on a Sunday. Falling on a Sunday, the rest day for most, it rolls forward: the following Monday is gazetted as the public holiday instead.
When does Ramadan start in 2020?
Ramadan runs for the month before Hari Raya Puasa, so in 2020 it begins around Friday, 24 April 2020. That is arithmetic, roughly 30 days back from Aidilfitri. MUIS announces the confirmed start the evening before the month begins, and it can differ by a day.
Hari Raya dates are the gazetted public-holiday dates published by MOM and on data.gov.sg. Islamic dates are announced by MUIS. This site reports dates and practice; it does not issue religious rulings.