Hari Raya Aidilfitri & Chinese New Year to occur in the same week from 2029 to 2031

[The_King]

Hari Raya Aidilfitri & Chinese New Year will fall in the same week from 2029 to 2031

From 2029 to 2031, Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Chinese New Year (CNY) are set to fall in the very same week.

Source: Scribbling Geek on Unsplash

Dubbed ‘Gongxi Raya’ or ‘Kongsi (Shared) Raya’, it will be the first time in over 30 years this special phenomenon is taking place.

The coincidence will occur due to the lunar calendars that each festival uses.

 

Estimated public holidays for Gongxi Raya during 2029, 2030 & 2031

With both festivals happening in the same week, these are the estimated public holidays in Singapore:

2029:

• CNY Days 1 & 2 — 13 & 14 Feb
• Hari Raya Aidilfitri — 15 Feb

Source: VisitSingapore on Facebook

 

2030:

• CNY Days 2 & 3 — 4 & 5 Feb (Day 1 falls on a Sunday and will be replaced by 5 Feb)
• Hari Raya Aidilfitri — 5 Feb

2031:

• CNY Days 1 & 2 — 23 & 24 Jan
• Hari Raya Aidilfitri — 25 Jan

If all goes according to plan, we may enjoy extended long weekends during these years.

 

Both festivals subscribe to lunar calendars

Gongxi Raya is possible due to the lunar calendars that the festivals subscribe to.

For Islamic festivals like Hari Raya Aidilfitri, dates are determined based on astronomical calculations of the Moon’s phases, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) explained.

 

This lunar calendar is shorter compared to the Gregorian calendar, which consists of 365 to 366 days.

As a result, Hari Raya is shifted forward by around 10 to 11 days annually.

On the other hand, the historic Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar.

 

A lunisolar year typically consists of 12 months, possibly 13 if an extra month is added to prevent calendar drift.

Hence, CNY tends to fall in late January to February every year.

 

Double celebration last occurred from 1996 to 1998

The last time that the double festive celebrations occurred was between 1996 and 1998.

It also happened from 1963 to 1965.

Source: Roots.sg

During the occasion, both Muslims and Chinese would traditionally open their houses for friends and relatives to visit.

Both groups also took part in each other’s cultural activities.

For example, Chinese participants engaged in a ketupat-making activity during a Gongxi Raya celebration at the Government Press Centre in 2000.