Published 3 November 2026
Your parents are coming home from Haj in 2027, and the family wants a kenduri balik haji: a kenduri kesyukuran, or thanksgiving meal, to welcome them back. Before you pick a caterer or a menu, fix the date. That depends on when MUIS's return flights land, and MUIS has not announced the 2027 flights yet. This guide shows what is known, how to time the gathering, and how to feed 150 guests safely.
Key Takeaways
- The return date comes first. MUIS's 2027 calendar puts 1 Zulhijjah on Saturday 8 May 2027, so the Haj days fall in mid-May and the pilgrims fly home after them. MUIS will confirm the flights.
- In 2026, the three return flights landed on 1, 5 and 8 June, according to MUIS.
- The MOE June holidays run from 29 May to 27 June 2027. A June gathering may land inside them.
- No official source sets a menu for a welcome-home kenduri. Menus vary by family.
- For 150 guests, the venue decides the format. SFA's 4-hour rule decides the delivery time, especially when prayers come before the food.
Want a quote now? Message Saffrons on WhatsApp (+65 9144 7381) with your date, venue and headcount.
When do Singapore pilgrims come home from Haj in 2027?
Nobody can give you the exact day yet. MUIS has not published the 2027 return flights. What you can work out is the window.
The Haj itself runs from 8 Zulhijjah, the Day of Tarwiyah, to the Days of Tasyriq on 11, 12 and 13 Zulhijjah, as MUIS's MuslimSG guide sets out. Zulhijjah is the last month of the Islamic calendar. MUIS's Key Islamic dates 2027 puts 1 Zulhijjah on Saturday 8 May 2027 and Hari Raya Aidiladha on Monday 17 May 2027. MOM lists Hari Raya Haji as a public holiday on Monday 17 May 2027.
By our count from that calendar, the Haj days fall from about 15 to 20 May 2027. Pilgrims fly home after those days, so the earliest return is after 20 May. MuslimSG notes that Hari Raya is only official once the Mufti declares it, so treat these as planning dates.
The 2026 season shows how the return unfolds, in MUIS's own figures:
| Stage | Haj 2026 (MUIS) | Haj 2027 (MUIS pages, 26 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Places offered | 900 pilgrims | 900 Letters of Offer from 16 November 2026 |
| Packages bought | — | By 30 November 2026, with a MUIS-appointed travel agent |
| Flights out | 9, 12 and 14 May 2026 | Not announced |
| Haj begins | Late May 2026 | About 15 May 2027 (8 Zulhijjah, our count) |
| Hari Raya Haji | — | Monday 17 May 2027 |
| Flights home | 1 June (302 pilgrims), then 5 and 8 June 2026 | Not announced by MUIS |
In 2026, MUIS ran three coordinated direct flights home for its 900 pilgrims. The last group, about 300 people, landed at Changi Terminal 3 on 8 June 2026, and "families gathered at the terminal to receive their loved ones." Your parents' travel agent will tell you which flight group they are in. MUIS says the authorised agents and approved 2027 packages will be announced in November 2026.
When should you hold the kenduri kesyukuran?
Once you know the flight, choose a day after it, not on it. Our suggestion, not a rule: leave your parents time to rest and see close family first.
Three things move the date:
- The flight group. In 2026 the first and last groups landed a week apart. If one parent is in a later group, plan around the later flight.
- The school holidays. MOE's June vacation runs from Saturday 29 May to Sunday 27 June 2027. If the return falls in June, the gathering likely falls in the holidays too. Relatives with children may be travelling, or may be free.
- Your venue. Fix the date, then book the space, then the food.
If your family held a send-off before the trip, this is the other half of it. Our guide to walimatus safar, the send-off gathering before Haj, covers the first kenduri. Its timing table calls the return gathering "a different kenduri — a welcome-home, not a send-off".
What is a kenduri kesyukuran, and what is usually served?
A kenduri is a communal meal. Kesyukuran means thanksgiving. Roots, the National Heritage Board's site, describes the majlis doa kesyukuran as a "thanksgiving prayer ceremony", where food is served to guests after the prayer sessions. That order matters for the food. Our guide to the five common types of kenduri shows where it sits among the others.
In Malay-Muslim and Indian Muslim families alike, who leads the doa (the prayer) and what is recited is for the family to decide. If you want the words for the return, MUIS's MuslimSG guide to prayers for travelling includes the dua said on coming home. For anything religious beyond that, ask MUIS or your own religious teacher.
What about the menu? No official source we read sets one for this gathering. The MUIS, Roots and SFA pages say nothing about a required dish. So menus vary by family. If you held a send-off before the trip, what you served then is a fair starting point for the conversation at home.
Saffrons' published packages are briyani-based and do not list Middle Eastern dishes. Here is what the package pages do list:
- Rice: briyani rice, or bee hoon briyani. Bee hoon briyani is served without dalcha.
- Main: mutton masala, or fish, fried or masala.
- Chicken side: chicken masala, chicken tandoori or chicken masak merah. Our note on ayam masak merah explains why it turns up at so many kenduri.
- In every buffet package: dalcha, a lentil curry, and acar timun, a cucumber pickle, with hot and cold drinks on the Buffet Package 1 page.
- Buffet Package 2 extras: two varieties of Malay kueh, a hot dessert of the day, and coffee, tea and teh tarik.
Feeding 150 guests: which format fits your venue?
At 150 guests you are well above Saffrons' 30-guest minimum. Its homepage says it caters from 30 to 3,000 guests. The question is not whether the kitchen can make the food. It is what your venue can hold and who sets it up.
| Your venue | Format that usually fits | What the Saffrons page lists |
|---|---|---|
| Void deck or hall, everyone eats after the doa | Full buffet | Buffet Package 1 or Package 2: buffet trays, tables and skirting, disposable wares, delivery and setting up |
| Home, a smaller family doa | Mini buffet on the dining table | Mini Buffet Package 2, pitched at smaller gatherings: disposable trays or thermo jars; delivery, or self-collection at no extra charge |
| Take-home portions (berkat) | Individually packed meals | Briyani packets in brown paper, or briyani bento sets, with vegetarian options |
These are planning bands, not rules. A buffet at a void deck brings its own questions, from shelter to layout, and our void deck set-up guide covers them. It was written for weddings, but the logistics carry over. For the quantity side, see how much catering to order for your guest count and our page on catering for about 200 guests, the nearest size to yours.
Berkat is the food a host blesses and sends home with guests. Roots notes the custom as nasi berkat, "food blessed by host to be brought home". If your family keeps it, order separate packets rather than scooping buffet leftovers into boxes. SFA says leftovers should be discarded, not kept to eat later.
The 4-hour rule when prayers come before the food
At a doa kesyukuran the food is commonly served after the prayers, so it waits. That is where families get caught out.
SFA's guidance is plain: no food should be kept at room temperature for more than 4 hours from the time it was cooked to the time it is eaten. SFA also asks that the food arrive no more than an hour before the meal. The caterer must put a time stamp label on packed meals, or a time stamp sign on each buffet table. That has been mandatory since 15 February 2012.
Which means, for your kenduri: set the delivery time against when the doa ends, not when guests arrive. Say the prayers start at 11am and run for an hour: ask for the food to arrive around noon. Then check the "consume by" time on the table sign. Our note on how long catered food stays safe explains the clock in more detail.
A checklist for the family organising it
- Get the flight group from your parents' travel agent once MUIS confirms 2027 flights.
- Pick a day after the flight, with time for your parents to rest.
- Check the MOE June holidays (29 May to 27 June 2027) against your relatives' plans.
- Book the venue: home, void deck or hall.
- Agree the order of the day: who leads the doa, how long it runs, when the food is needed.
- Choose the format from the table above, and decide on berkat packets.
- Check the caterer's halal status. Any certificate can be checked on the MUIS list or the MuslimSG app. Our guide to checking a halal certificate before you book walks through it.
- Send one WhatsApp with date, venue, headcount and prayer timing, and ask for a quote.
Where Saffrons fits
Saffrons publishes this page, so read it as one option, not the only one. Its catering packages page describes a 100% Muslim-owned caterer with an SFA-licensed central kitchen and MUIS halal certification. Founder Mdm Beevi began as a wedding caterer.
For a kenduri balik haji of 150, the buffet packages with delivery and set-up are the usual starting point. Saffrons does not publish per-person rates. Message +65 9144 7381 on WhatsApp with your date, venue, headcount and when the prayers end, and the team will reply with a quote. Planning a Hari Raya Haji open house as well? Our Hari Raya Haji catering page covers that occasion.
Frequently asked questions
When do Singapore pilgrims return from Haj in 2027?
MUIS has not announced the 2027 return flights. Its 2027 calendar puts 1 Zulhijjah on 8 May, so by our count the Haj days fall around 15 to 20 May and pilgrims fly home after that. In 2026, MUIS's three return flights landed on 1, 5 and 8 June. Your parents' travel agent will confirm their flight group.
Is a walimatus safar the same as the welcome-home kenduri?
No. A walimatus safar is the send-off gathering held before a relative leaves for Haj or Umrah. The kenduri kesyukuran, or kenduri balik haji, is the thanksgiving gathering after they return. The timing questions are different. Our walimatus safar guide covers the first one.
Do we have to serve dates or Arab food at a kenduri after Haj?
None of the MUIS, National Heritage Board or SFA pages we read require any particular dish for this gathering. Menus vary by family. Saffrons' own packages are briyani-based, with mutton, fish or chicken, dalcha and acar timun, and they do not list Middle Eastern dishes. For any religious question, ask MUIS or your religious teacher.
Can Saffrons cater a kenduri kesyukuran for 150 guests?
Its homepage says it caters from 30 to 3,000 guests, so 150 is within range. Buffet Packages 1 and 2 include delivery and setting up, with buffet trays, skirted tables and disposable wares. Saffrons does not publish per-person rates, so send your date, venue and headcount on WhatsApp to +65 9144 7381 for a quote.
Customs vary by family and region; this describes common practice in Singapore, not religious rulings. For rulings consult MUIS or your religious teacher. Guest counts and timings are planning guidance; SFA food-safety rules apply — confirm with your caterer for your date. Menus and packages change; Saffrons does not publish per-person rates — request a quote on WhatsApp +65 9144 7381. Verify MUIS certification status at booking. Haj dates in this guide were checked on MUIS's pages on 26 October 2026.
