For the last 10 days of Ramadan, we kept vigil for that one night called Lailatul Qadr, the night when the Quran was sent down and the night where angels descend and shower blessings to those who woke up in the wee hours of the morning to do their prayers and doa. Tomorrow Muslims all over the world celebrate Eid Mubarak/ Aidil Fitri/ Hari Raya Puasa, or simply Hari Raya to mark the culmination of Ramadhan and the beginning of the 10th month of the Muslim calendar Syawal. It is a joyous occasion for Muslims as it signifies “a personal triumph, a victory of self-restraint and abstinence, symbolising purification and renewal”.
Balik kampung either to Port Dickson alternate to Kota Bharu/Malacca had always been our ritual for Raya to be with parents and relatives. On the morning of Raya we would congregate the mosques for morning prayers decked out in our new Raya outfits followed by a visit to the cemetery to offer prayers to our deceased loved ones. Then home for more makan with all the family members in between the chaos and salams to ask for pardon and forgiveness. It used to be that my three kids would be enjoying collecting and counting their duit Raya at every hour, but I guess since they are now adult this is no more the case.
But for this year we will be celebrating the morning of Raya in KL in our own home. Is it too late for me to start the tradition of preparing the ketupat, kuah kacang and rendang myself since all along the children were used to balik kampung thus all these Raya delicacies would already been prepared by their grandparents. We would only balik kampung with cookies and packets of angpow. The rituals before Raya were just limited to buying new Raya clothes and baking/buying cookies - hehehe more buying than baking. So for this year tradition is broken as I prepared all the Raya delicacies. But it will be a subdued celebration as Along our eldest son is in Melbourne will be presenting his semester project to his lecturers in his baju Melayu on Raya day. Oh sweet sorrow.
I received numerous sms from friends who said they missed my Raya pantun dua kerat. For this year going by this breaking of tradition my pantun will no more be sent through sms but in this blog. So here goes:
Katak dalam paya
Selamat hari raya
Duit dalam tin
Maaf zahir batin
Selamat Hari Raya to you and family!
ReplyDeletecollecting duit raya is still the case! and i'm still waiting for my duit rayaaaaa and baju rayaaaa :)
ReplyDeleteSelamat Hari Raya to you and family dearest (:
ReplyDeleteHi Mei Ling & Irene
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Raya message. Lost 4 kilos during the fasting month but gain 1 kilo stuffing my face with food on the first day of Raya.
My dear dear Along
Hahahaha anybody in Melbourne gave you angpow?? Go visit auntie Yati-lah. Love you and take care.
Salaam Dr
ReplyDeleteFirstly Selamat Hari Raya and Maaf Zahir Batin from me and Izam in London. Seronok beraya di Malaysia but the feel is still the same as long as we have loved ones with us.....I take it that way.
Raya here is not that much difference as in Malaya. I cooked rendang, nasi impit, kuah kacang and kari ayam on pagi raya for the the feast including roti jala upon request by my better half...as usual. A few friends came and even my old classmate from Bahrain whom i haven't met for 15 years came.
All in all, we enjoy raya no matter where we are and before I go..a pantun dua kerat for you too...
Anak itik terkedek kedek
Insya Allah...raya next year we all balik!!!
Love and take care
Dear Maria and Izam
ReplyDeleteCantiklah pantun dua kerat. Yes Raya is the same anywhere as long as you are with loved ones and friends. I experienced once in 2000 and we all dance joget lambak which I never did here in Malaysia. Being Kelantanese we even had nasi dagang and the second day budu with durian (a luxury item!!). Hope to you you when you get back here.
Send my regards to Siti and Faisal. Love and take care.