Letting my Muslim friend bring me around a bazaar to show how he prepares for Hari Raya

As the fasting period of Ramadan begins, it marks the time for Muslims to reflect and get together to prepare for the upcoming Hari Raya festivities.

Living in Singapore, it is a privilege to be exposed to the cultures and customs of different races – and I am always down for a reason to celebrate.

So, I asked my Muslim colleague, Danial, to bring me around a Ramadan bazaar to show me how he and other Muslims in Singapore prepare for Hari Raya.

We headed up north to the opening night of the Ramadan Bazaar @ Nee Soon to check out how the community celebrate this period and explore the interesting options that you can find at this bazaar.

Yoko 3D Printing

Our first stop was at Yoko 3D printing, which was particularly interesting to me as I have never seen a 3D printer being set up within a Ramadan bazaar before.

Danial explains that making sure the house is ready for the festivities is key during preparations - and what better way to show some character with some customised 3D figurines.

Founded from their Yishun flat, married couple Aravindan and Yoko explained that this was originally a passion project that turned into a mission with a cause.

“We want to give back to this community by educating people on 3D printing. We seek to be the ‘Yoko’ (meaning sunshine in Japanese) to the people around us.”

As we continued to traverse the market, I can’t help but be distracted by the sights and smell of the various food stalls preparing for a busy dinner rush.

While the market still had staples like Ramly burgers on sale, we noticed a couple of stores with trendier concepts selling tacos and baklava.

Kuihzania

With the sun slowing setting, Danial shows me to Kuihzania, a small and busy store that sells kuehs and other ready to eat hot meals, perfect for the crowd of Muslim customers looking for something quick to break their fast with.

Started by two sisters, Tara and Hawa, who are fans of kuehs, they recalled how one time they wanted to break their fast with it but found no such store near Yishun. Hence, they started Kuihzania in Junction Nine which found big success and a community of regulars who travel from outside Yishun to get their hands on their favourite kuehs

Even though this is their first time at a bazaar, the shop was already close to selling out by the time Danial and I stumbled across the store.

“We just wanted to see how far we can go,” says Tara’s husband, Saharudeen.

Merce Hair Studio

We had just one more stop to make before we ended the mini tour around the bazaar, Danial points me to a small stand selling hair products. He explains how getting a fresh new look for Hari Raya is on the top of his to-do list, because it's all about starting anew for the year ahead.

Merce Hair Studio is a barber also located in the heart of Yishun. With a loyal fanbase within the neighbourhood, they also took the opportunity to reach out to other customers with this store within the bazaar.

Selling hair products and fragrances, they hope to reach out to new customers and make sure that their regulars can get their favourite hair products just before the Hari Raya festivities.

Not just a bazaar but a celebration of community

With the day coming to an end, I noticed how the Ramadan Bazaar @ Nee Soon was not just a place to get your essential needs for Hari Raya but also a meeting point for the community.

In fact, the residents of Yishun actually got together to break the Singapore book of records for the longest pulut panggang done in Yishun, talk about team spirit!

So, if you are living in the North and find yourself needing to get all your Raya essentials and still have enough space to catch time with long time pals, why not head up to the Ramadan Bazaar @ Nee Soon happening just next to Yishun MRT till March 23.