For
muslims, the Eid Fitr is the most looked forward day of the year, after a month
of fasting. It is obvious looking at the preparation of new clothes, special dishes,
family gatherings, duit Raya and fireworks, among others, making it the most
wanted day for all ages, reflecting the joyfulness and happiness.
Breakfast
Starting the day, prior to going
to the mosque, some food will be prepared
for breakfast. This could be a portion of the special dishes prepared for visitors
later in the day. The most famous is the ketupat and rendang.
Eid Prayer
Held
in the morning, normally around 8:30 or 9:00am, a special Eid Prayer of 2
rakaats is performed at the mosques. This is followed by the Eid sermon and
ended with attendees greeting and shaking hands marking the forgiveness we seek
from each other.
Family gathering
First
day of Eid will normally see family gathering where each member of the family will
greet and seek forgiveness, especially from the
elders, of prior mistakes or wrong doings that might hurt each other.
Conversation
will normally revolve around updating each other of life accomplishment, new
happenings and updates of various things. Reminiscing old stories and walking
back in the memory lane is quite common especially between the older members of
the family. This is when the younger
family members will get to know and imagine how Eid was celebrated during
earlier times then compared to current.
During
Eid, one should at least wear their best clothings, not necessarily a new one.
An interesting story was told during this Eid gathering where Uncle X told us
about the days when they were poor and hardly have any money to buy new
clothes, his father bought them school uniforms instead to be worn so that they
can save money and avoid having to buy clothings twice in a year.
Raya Cookies
The Raya cookies if not a must, is a common thing that you will find when visiting families and friends during Eid. Those days, cookies are mostly homemade but nowadays, you can buy it almost anywhere, from the bazaar stalls to the big supermarkets in town.
Duit raya (Gifts of Money)
Every
children look forward to receiving duit raya during Eid celebration. It is
quite common for working adults to give duit raya to their younger siblings,
relatives and even the elders. For the children, this would be the time for
them to chance on accumulating some extra pocket money and savings, to buy
something on their wishlists or simply to save in their banks account.
Those
days, especially in the villages, children would go around from house to house
to collect duit raya, simply by knocking on doors and wishing selamat hari raya
to the occupants.
Balik Kampung
For
those working abroad or in another cities, balik kampung is term known for this
yearly exodus going back to their respective hometowns. This will be the time
to meet and spend some time with their family members and siblings.
With
the exodus, comes the common traffic jams and packed public transportations
when everybody rushes back to their hometown. Some may take up to 12 hours on
the road just to get back to their hometown, depending on how far it is.
Visiting Graves
For
those whom their elders or family members had passed away, it is also quite
common to visit the graves during Eid. Some will take their time to clean up
the graves a day or two prior to Eid in preparation for visits by other family
members during Eid (before or after the Eid prayer).
Eid clothes
A
lot of modern designs can be chosen from the various outlets selling the Eid
clothings. The common design is the traditional localised Malay costumes,
modern Baju Melayu or Baju Kurung or even middle eastern adapted fashions.
Colors may vary but most families adopted to having the same color for the
family and that could also vary from year to year. Some took the extra effort
in having the made by custom tailors, made 2-3 months in advance.
Photos
Sessions
Those
days, photo sessions mean a visit to a local photo studio where the whole
family in their Eid clothings will pose for family photos, later framed and
printed for the albums.
Nowadays,
with the advent of technology and smartphones, selfies, wefies and family
photos are all taken by ourselves and shared via social media and messages.
Wising
you a blessed Eid with your loved ones,
#MalaysiaTravelBook
