For many Singapore families, Hari Raya cookies are the first sign the festival is coming: trays of pineapple tarts, kuih bangkit and cornflake cookies cooling on every flat surface. Baking at home is part of the joy, but it lands on top of spring cleaning, new curtains, open house cooking and the tiredness of the last weeks of Ramadan. This checklist sets out a realistic order for cleaning, baking and hosting, with the food and fire safety points that matter in a busy kitchen.

We also cover something families often overlook: your helper’s workload and rest days. Festive weeks are when her hours stretch furthest, and there are MOM rules about what she can and cannot help with, including one that catches out families who sell cookies from home.

Hari Raya Puasa follows the Islamic calendar, so it moves earlier by around 10 to 11 days each year. In 2027 it falls on Wednesday, 10 March, according to the Ministry of Manpower’s list of 2027 public holidays, and in the years after that it will come a little earlier each year. Check MOM’s announcement each year for the gazetted date, then count back from it.

Six weeks out: plan around Ramadan

The hardest part of Hari Raya preparation is that the busiest weeks fall during the fasting month, when energy is lowest in the afternoon. A plan made before Ramadan starts saves a lot of late nights.

List the big jobs. Curtains, sofa covers, kitchen degreasing, the fridge, the oven and any repairs. Femme5 does not do repairs, so book a handyman early if something needs fixing.
Decide your cookie list. Pick the varieties you will bake and the ones you will buy. Be honest about how many trays your oven and your evenings can handle.
Book anything you are outsourcing. Cleaners, caterers and cookie orders all get busy close to the festival.
Agree rest days with your helper before the calendar fills up. We cover the rules below.
If your helper is fasting, talk with her about meal times and how she would like her work arranged. MOM’s rest day and well-being guidance asks employers to respect a helper’s religious beliefs where food is concerned, and heavy tasks are easier for anyone who is fasting when they are scheduled for the morning.

Four weeks out: the cleaning checklist

Do the heavy cleaning before the baking starts. Flour, sugar and butter get everywhere, and you do not want to be degreasing the hood while trays are in the oven.

Living room and bedrooms

Dust fans, light fittings and the tops of cabinets first, then work downwards.
Wash curtains and sofa covers early. Many families put up new or freshly washed ones for Hari Raya, and heavy fabrics take time to dry in humid weather.
Clear and wipe wardrobes to make room for new Raya outfits.
Prepare a guest room or extra sleeping space if relatives are staying.

The kitchen, before baking begins

Clear expired items from the fridge and pantry, then degrease the cooker hood and hob. Clean the oven now, while it is cool and empty. Our guide on how to clean an oven walks through the interior, door glass and racks.

A safety note on cleaning products: never mix bleach with ammonia or with acidic cleaners, because the combination releases toxic gases. Ventilate the room, wear gloves, and test products on a hidden spot first.

Windows and the corridor

Under MOM rules, a helper may only clean the outside of a window if the window has a grille that is locked throughout and an adult supervises. Breaches carry a fine of up to $10,000, up to 12 months’ jail, or both. In HDB blocks, SCDF’s fire safety guidelines for residential estates require a clear escape passage of at least 1.2m along the common corridor, so keep that in mind before placing extra shoe racks or plants outside for guests.

Baking Hari Raya cookies at home: a practical plan

Bake in the right order

Start with sturdy, dry cookies that keep well in airtight containers.
Bake more delicate cookies later, closer to the festival.
Do one variety per session. One dough, one set of trays and one clean-up is far less tiring than three half-finished batches.
Clean as you go. Wipe flour and sugar off counters between batches, because sweet spills attract ants quickly in Singapore’s warmth.

Egg and kitchen hygiene

The Singapore Food Agency’s advice on raw eggs is worth following when you are cracking dozens of them. Use clean eggs without cracks, wash your hands with soap before and after handling eggs, and prepare raw egg away from cooked and ready-to-eat food. SFA advises young children, older people, pregnant women and people with weakened immunity to avoid raw egg, so keep little ones away from the dough bowl.

Oven and fire safety

Use oven gloves, and keep children clear of the oven door while it is hot.
Never leave cooking or frying unattended. This is one of SCDF’s core festive fire safety tips.
Do not overload sockets by running the oven, mixer and other appliances off one extension lead.
If oil catches fire on the stove, SCDF’s Civil Defence Emergency Handbook advises turning off the gas, covering the pan with a lid or a damp cloth and never pouring water on it. Call 995 if a fire is not quickly out.

Cooling and storage in humid weather

Let cookies cool completely on a rack before they go into containers. Warm cookies release steam, and in Singapore’s humidity that moisture makes them soft or stale quickly. Use airtight containers, keep them out of direct sun, and label each one with the cookie name and baking date.

Lighter options

HealthHub’s guide to healthier Hari Raya and Deepavali foods notes that a single pineapple tart contains 92 calories, and five cornflake cookies contain almost 200 calories, close to a small meal. It suggests reducing white sugar, replacing butter with liquid cooking oil, and using wholegrain flour in place of white flour.

Selling cookies from home? Your helper cannot help

Many families bake extra to sell or take orders from friends. If you do, keep your helper out of it completely. MOM’s guidance that your migrant domestic worker must not work for your business gives baking for a home bakery as an example of work she cannot do, and says she cannot work for your business even if she is willing or paid extra. That includes packing orders. Illegal deployment can bring a fine of up to $10,000 and a bar on employing helpers.

She can bake for your household, and MOM encourages letting her bake for her own friends if she enjoys it. The line is simple: cookies for your family are domestic work, cookies for sale are not.

Hosting your open house

Open house food sits out for hours, which is where food safety slips. SFA’s guidance on temperature control in cooked food explains that bacteria grow best between 5°C and 60°C. Keep hot dishes such as rendang and lontong gravy at 60°C or above if they are not eaten right away, refrigerate leftovers quickly at 4°C or lower, and divide large pots into smaller, shallow containers so they cool faster.

Serve in rounds. Put out smaller portions and top up from the kitchen.
Lights and pelita. SCDF advises keeping lit candles away from combustibles such as curtains and out of children’s reach, turning decorative lights off when you leave the house, and replacing lights with frayed wires. Never leave open flames burning unattended.
Flowers. Change vase water regularly. It is one of NEA’s Mozzie Wipeout steps against dengue.

Planning your helper’s workload and rest days

Rest days still apply in festive weeks

Your helper is entitled to one rest day a week, on a day you both agree. At least one rest day a month cannot be compensated away, even if she offers. Any other rest day she agrees to work must be paid at least one day’s salary, which is her monthly salary divided by 26, on top of her salary. Our guide to maid rest day rules has the details.

Hari Raya itself

Helpers are not covered by the Employment Act, so a public holiday off is a matter for your contract and mutual agreement. If your helper celebrates Hari Raya herself, it may be the most important day of her year, and she may want to attend prayers or meet friends. Ask early. Many families give her the day and do the open house cooking around it.

Visiting relatives

MOM’s guidance says cleaning a parent’s home or another property is not allowed, even occasionally and with extra pay, so she cannot help prepare a relative’s home for Hari Raya. If you need her to look after your child at a relative’s home, MOM requires you to notify it first and get her written agreement.

Share the load

Split baking and cleaning jobs among family members.
Avoid stacking late-night baking on top of an early start.
Book part-time help for a deep clean instead of overloading one person.

After Hari Raya: the clean-up

Floors. Sweep up crumbs first, then mop sticky spots with warm water and a little detergent.
Kitchen. Degrease the hob and hood again, and clean the oven once it is cool.
Leftovers. Clear the fridge of anything that has been sitting too long, and reheat food thoroughly before eating.
Your helper. If she worked through a busy stretch, give her the agreed rest day promptly.

If you are planning for other festivals too, our Deepavali preparation checklist follows the same countdown approach.

Frequently Asked Questions

How early should I start baking Hari Raya cookies?

Start with sturdy, dry cookies that keep well in airtight containers, and bake more delicate ones closer to the festival. Do the heavy cleaning before baking begins, so the oven and kitchen are clean and you are not degreasing between batches.

How do I stop homemade cookies going soft in Singapore’s humidity?

Let them cool completely on a rack before storing, because trapped steam softens them. Store them in airtight containers away from direct sun, and keep each variety separate so moist cookies do not soften crisp ones.

Can my helper help me bake cookies to sell?

No. MOM says a helper cannot work for your business, even a home bakery, and even if she is willing or paid extra. She can bake for your household. Illegal deployment can bring a fine of up to $10,000 and a bar on employing helpers.

Does my helper get Hari Raya Puasa off?

Helpers are not covered by the Employment Act, so public holidays depend on your contract and mutual agreement. Her weekly rest day still applies, including at least one rest day a month that cannot be compensated away. If she celebrates the festival, ask her early what she would like.

Is it safe to leave pelita or candles burning during an open house?

Only if someone is watching them. Keep them in stable holders on heat-resistant surfaces, away from curtains and children, and put them out when guests leave or before bed. Call 995 in a fire emergency.

Conclusion

Good Hari Raya preparation is about order. Plan before Ramadan, clean before you bake, bake sturdy cookies first, and keep food and fire safety in mind on open house day. Above all, agree your helper’s rest days and workload early, and keep her away from any cookie business, so the festival is a joy for everyone in the home.

A clean home before the baking starts makes the whole season easier. Femme5 also offers home cleaning in Singapore by the hour and deep cleaning for kitchens and bathrooms. Message our team for a quote.

The Femme5 Team
Home cleaning team, Femme5 Agency
Femme5 provides part-time home cleaning, deep cleaning and post-renovation cleaning for HDB flats, condominiums and landed homes across Singapore.

Femme5 Cleaning Team

Written by the home cleaning team at Femme5 Agency Pte Ltd, which provides part-time home cleaning, deep cleaning and post-renovation cleaning across Singapore.

Hari Raya Preparation Checklist: Cleaning, Baking and Hosting at Home