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RAYA
SPECIAL
Hari Raya Aidilf itri ...
A Celebration Steeped in Traditions
W o r d s :
H a n n e f E s q u a n d e r
H
ari
Raya Aidilfitri or
Eid al-Fitr in Arabic, is
celebrated on the 1st
Syawal of every year
based on the Islamic
calendar. The month
prior to the celebration
which is Ramadan, sees Muslims from
across the globe fasting from dawn to
sunset for 29 or 30 days. Fasting during
Ramadan is one of the pillars of Islam
and this act of self-discipline draws
Muslims closer to God especially when
they abstain from worldly pleasures
including large intakes of food and drinks.
The first sighting of the crescent moon
shortly after sunset marks the end of the
Anactofselfdisciplineandanoccasiontorememberthelessfortunate.
fasting month. Aidilfitri will be celebrated
the day after and throughout the month
of Syawal.
The Tradition
Aidilfitri is a celebration of victory after
a successful month of fasting and absti-
nence. Those who live far away from their
hometowns will return, usually a day
or two earlier, to be with their families
for the occasion. This homecoming is
referred to as
balik kampung
.
Muslims wake up early in the morning
to perform Aidilfitri morning prayers at
the mosque. The prayer includes
takbir
which is a recital of praises to God that
can also be heard from the night before.
After the prayers in the morning, there
would be visits to the cemetery to pay
homage to departed souls.
Back at home, the house is cleaned
and tidied up and traditional food like
rendang
,
ketupat
and
lemang
, that have
been prepared earlier, are laid on the
table. On Hari Raya day, Muslims wear
new clothes,
baju melayu
for men or
baju kurung
and
kebaya
for women.
For many, Aidilfitri is one of the very
rare occasions when they get to display
traditional clothes.
An important aspect of the celebra-
tion is the act of seeking forgiveness.
Irrespective of age, when Muslims meet
each other during Aidilfitri, they will ask
An important aspect of the
celebration is the kind act
of seeking forgiveness