Malaysia

Possibly nowhere in the world is the calendar as filled with religious holidays as in Malaysia. And possibly nowhere in the world is there an open-door policy like Malaysia's for religious festivals. Friends of other faiths, whether they be from across the street or across the world, are welcomed into the homes and cultures of celebrants for a short time as their respective religious holiday is observed.

Hari Raya Puasa is major festival of the Muslims in Malaysia. It is celebrated to mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan on sighting of the new moon. 'Hari Raya' denotes 'Day of Celebration' and 'Puasa ' is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning 'Fasting' or 'Abstinence'. Ramadan is the period of fasting for one month from dawn till dusk with abstinence from smoking and making physical relations. On the day of Hari Raya Puasa, the day begins with Muslims turning out in their new attire and assemble for mass prayer early in the morning. It is also the day of forgiveness when younger seek for mercy from their elders. The elders give the youngers blessings and packets of money. The celebration of the festival of Hari Raya Puasa continues for a month but public holiday is only for the first two days. Traditional Malay delicacies, namely, Ketupat, Lontong, Nasi Padang and Beef Rendang are prepared and served on Hari Raya Puasa.

Usually before the night of celebrations,most housewives will be busy cooking and baking cakes or biscuits while their daughter and son are busy with the decorations of the house.It is common practices for Malay house to be lit with "Pelita" or neon lights during the night of " Tujuh Likur"(3 last nights of Ramadhan).

It is customary for Malays to wear traditional Malay costumes on the Eid. The dress for men is called baju melayu while the women's are known as baju kurung. In recent years, robes, adopted from Arabic tradition and culture, are added to the traditional attires for Eid. It is also common to see non-Malay Muslims wear costumes of their culture -- Indian Muslims can be seen wearing traditional Indian costumes, while it is common for American-Malaysian Muslims to wear Western clothes to mosques on the morning of Eid.

Once the prayer is completed, it is also common for Muslims in Malaysia to visit the grave of their loved ones. During this visit, they will clean the grave, perform the recital of the Surah Yaa Sin and also perform the tahlil ceremony. All these are done in hope that their loved ones are blessed by Allah and they are spared from the punishment in the grave.

The rest of the day is spent visiting relatives or serving visitors. Eid ul-Fitr is a very joyous day for children for this is the day where adults are extra generous. Children will be given token sums of money, also known as "duit raya" from their parents or elders.

At night, there is often a celebration with firecrackers. Often, the lighting of firecrackers begins a few days before the end of Ramadhan, and continues for about a week afterwards.

Muslims celebrate the festival of Aidilfitri -- popularly known as Hari Raya Puasa, or simply Hari Raya in Malaysia -- to mark the culmination of Ramadhan, the holy month of fasting. It is a joyous occasion for Muslims, as it signifies a personal triumph, a victory of self-restraint and abstinence, symbolising purification and renewal.

Aidilfitri is celebrated for the whole month of Syawal. It is widely common however, to see Muslims taking the first week off from work.

Urbanites make their annual pilgrimage to their hometowns (this is popularly referred to as balik kampung), to be with parents, relatives and old friends. Thus, cities like Kuala Lumpur get relatively quiet during the festive season of Aidilfitri.

The usual greeting (that is uttered with the salam) during Aidilfitri is “Selamat Hari Raya”, which means “Wishing you a joyous Hari Raya”.

Although the first three days are celebrated on a grander scale, many Muslims hold “open house” throughout the month, where friends and neighbours of other races are invited to join in the celebrations.

The joy of Hari Raya Puasa actually begins before the first day. A week or so before the big day, excitement mounts as the house is readied for the celebration with new furnishing and decorations.

Of particular interest are the last 10 days of Ramadan, where many keep vigil for Lailatul Qadr (The Night of Decree), the night when the Quran was sent down. It is believed that angels descend and shower blessings on that particular night, so homes are brightly decorated with oil lamps or pelita.

Mosques, as well as government and some commercial buildings, are also decorated and brightly lit to mark the auspicious day. The most predominant colour seen in decorations during this season is green which is commonly associated with Islamic items. It is often combined with yellow or gold.

As for motifs, by far the most frequently used symbol is that of the ketupat (rice cakes wrapped in coconut leaves); it is invariably used on Hari Raya greeting cards, hanging decorative items, and as a promotional image for the season.

The ketupat is traditional Hari Raya fare and is often served with beef rendang (beef cooked with spices and coconut milk) and/or satay (grilled meat on a skewer).

Other festive delicacies include lemang (glutinous rice cooked in bamboo tubes), serunding (desiccated coconut fried with chili) and curry chicken.