Ramadan will begin on 17 May. It is the most important month of the Muslim calendar, leading up to Hari Raya Aidilfitri. We know that some of you are curious about fasting and the Hari Raya celebrations, and some of you are excited to share about your culture and customs, so we’re bringing back Just An Extra Chair!
If you are open to hosting some guests over at your house for iftar (breaking fast) or Hari Raya, please be in touch. If you’d like to find out more about Muslim culture, please sign up too. We will match you up with someone and get you acquainted so you can have a great time together.
In February, we brought together people who were spending Chinese New Year alone and generous hosts who opened up their homes to share a meal. Have a look at what went down at one of the dinners!
Before you sign up, please be sure that you are available and serious about participating.
FAQs
Why is SKM doing this?
An artifact of our hurried city life is that people don’t usually get a chance to stop and look at someone in the eyes, let alone have a proper conversation. We want to spread some cheers and create real, meaningful connection among people.
How does Just An Extra Chair work?
People who want to learn more about Ramadan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri can sign up as guests. We will match you up with people who have offered to share a meal. When you fill up the form, tell us a little bit about yourself and the dinner party (for hosts) so we can find you a good match.
We know that people in Singapore are naturally reserved and shy, so if you think you’d prefer to have a friend come along, we have included that as an option in the form. Similarly for hosts, if you think having a stranger at your dining table is awkward, host two! Simply indicate it on your form.
At this point, we are not able to anticipate how the response will be. Please don’t be discouraged if we aren’t able to find you a match. We will do our best to make sure everyone has someone.
What are the dates available?
Iftar: Dinner on 26th May, 27th May, 29 May (Vesak Day), 2nd June or 3rd June
Hari Raya: Lunch or dinner on 23rd June, 24th June, 30th June, 1 July (Registration closes on 8th June.)
Sign up here.
I’m not sure if I am ready to meet a stranger.
Hosts who are opening up their homes may be concerned about safety. Vice versa, guests will also wonder if it is safe to step into someone’s home. Well, it’s definitely not a good idea to invite a random guy off the street, so use caution on that one.
What we do is that we will look through our participants’ details, get to know you and also get you acquainted with each other before you meet.
You can get creative in the way you host! Besides inviting guests to your house, you can also do it at a public eating place. What about a picnic in the park?
You can also consider reaching out to your neighbours or students in your area!
If you have further questions, please contact us.