Hari Raya Shopping Fun Guide
With the month of Ramadhan upon us, the Hari Raya festive spirit is in full swing. The whole of Geylang Serai lights up with life. What's not to love about Hari Raya? But wait, there's more good news. You don't have to restrict your Hari Raya fun to Geylang Serai. Yes, you heard me right! There's so much more to experience about Hari Raya shopping. We bring you a list of Hari Raya-related things you may or may not know you should be spending your dollar on.
Food
Food is of course the top reason why we love this season so much. This year, instead of sticking to the same old dishes, why not try these three things we recommend?
Lemang: It may not be as famous as the ketupat, but lemang is considered by many an essential delicacy during Hari Raya celebrations. Made of glutinous rice and coconut milk, lemang is cooked to perfection in hollowed bamboo lined with banana leaf over an open fire. To be enjoyed with other traditional meat dishes.
Air Katira: This is a green-coloured alternative to bandung. You seldom see it on normal days but come Ramadan, it is sold everywhere at bazaars. Other than just rose syrup and evaporated milk, the ingredients also include dates, almond and katira fruit.
Ayam Percik: Instead of sticking to rendang, try out this other meaty dish. Ayam percik is basically chicken marinated with spicy coconut gravy and barbequed traditionally over a charcoal fire.
Ladies Shoes, Bags and Accessories
Don't worry, we're not asking you to don a baju kurung or kebaya (unless you want to, of course), but if you're looking for shoes and bags, you will be spoiled for choice. You will, of course, need costume jewellery and accessories to go with your new shoes and bags. Plenty of that too.
Home Furnishings
This season is a very good time to get home furnishings, especially if you're into Malay and Indonesian inspired decorations. From cushion cover, to curtains, fake flowers, lighting, carpet and home furniture, you can get all these and more at a suitable budget for you. Here's a little secret not many outside of the Malay community knows, hit the bazaars at 12 midnight on the last day of Ramadan (which is the start of Hari Raya) and most of the items go on lelong. In fact, many people wait for this time to get a bargain, but be prepared, it will be more packed than a sardine can.
Where?
There's no need to tell you that Geylang Serai is the place to head to for a one-stop Hari Raya shopping experience. The most famous and biggest Hari Raya bazaar in Singapore would be the Annual Mega Raya Bazaar located just beside Paya Lebar MRT station.
The second biggest bazaar would be in Woodlands, beside the MRT station where you can be entertained with dangdut performances and even get to buy traditional games like congkak. For a different vibe, head down to Bussorah Street. The bazaar is smaller, a la pasar malam (night market), but the shopping in the surrounding area would bring different offerings.
For more bargains galore, why not head across the Causeway? Many Singaporeans throng to Pasar Pandan and Pelangi Plaza to get cheaper Hari Raya clothes, tailor-made curtains and cookies like pineapple tarts and loveletters.
If you prefer shopping in air-conditioned places, fret not. Hop from Tanjong Katong Complex to City Plaza and Malay Village all in a day as they are located within walking distance from each other.
