Hari Raya in Singapore 2021
The 2021 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 2021, Hari Raya Puasa (Aidilfitri) falls on Thursday, 13 May 2021 and Hari Raya Haji (Aidiladha) on Tuesday, 20 July 2021, both gazetted public holidays in Singapore.
Thursday, 13 May 2021
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.
Tuesday, 20 July 2021
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.
Prayer in zones of fifty
Mosques were open for Aidilfitri on Thursday 13 May 2021, but only just. MUIS set each mosque at three prayer sessions, each session capped at 100 congregants split into two zones of 50, with slots released at 10am on 11 May through the mosque booking system and the Muslim.sg app. Visiting was capped too: at most two social gatherings a day, and no household receiving more than five unique visitors a day (MUIS, 7 May 2021). Mosques had reopened for limited Ramadan activities only that March (MUIS, 20 March 2021).
On the calendar, 2021 was the year both Rayas sat exactly one day off a weekend: Aidilfitri on a Thursday, Hari Raya Haji on Tuesday 20 July. A single day of leave on either side turned each into four days off. In a year with borders closed, that mattered less than it usually would.
How the 2021 dates sat in the calendar
| Hari Raya Puasa | Hari Raya Haji | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Thursday, 13 May | Tuesday, 20 Jul |
| Days off in a row, five-day week | 1 (13 May) | 1 (20 Jul) |
| Nearest other public holiday | Labour Day, 12 days earlier | National Day, 20 days later |
| Moved from 2020 | 11 days earlier | 11 days earlier |
| Moves to 2022 | 10 days earlier | 10 days earlier |
The two fell 68 days apart in 2021. 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.
Ramadan 2021
Ramadan, the month of fasting, runs for roughly 29 to 30 days before Hari Raya Puasa, so in 2021 it begins around 13 Apr and ends at Aidilfitri on 13 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 2021?
Hari Raya Puasa (Aidilfitri) falls on Thursday, 13 May 2021, a gazetted public holiday in Singapore.
When is Hari Raya Haji in 2021?
Hari Raya Haji (Aidiladha) falls on Tuesday, 20 July 2021, 68 days after Aidilfitri.
Is there a day off in lieu for Hari Raya in 2021?
No. Both Hari Raya dates in 2021 fall on working weekdays, so each is simply a paid day off and nothing shifts.
When does Ramadan start in 2021?
Ramadan runs for the month before Hari Raya Puasa, so in 2021 it begins around Tuesday, 13 April 2021. 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.