Article by: Fion, Janesse, Ada and Sabrina.
The Hari Raya Aidilfitri Holiday falls on May 2nd 2022 according to the Malay calendar. The dates will change every year. The main thing is fasting, why do they fast though? Read on to find out more interesting things!
It is the festival of the breaking of the fast, it is a holiday that is mostly celebrated by Muslims. It is a time when people fly or drive home so they can spend time with their family.
The most common greetings that Muslims say are “Selamat Hari Raya”, which means Happy Hari Raya, and “Maaf Zahir dan Batin” which means “I seek forgiveness from you”.
Origin of this celebration
The origin is traced back to Islamic prophet, Muhammad. It has been celebrated ever since the 15th century.
The History of Hari Raya
Hari Raya is also known as the festival that marks the end of a month of fasting. The word ‘Hari Raya’ means ‘day of celebration’.
Ramadan
Ramadan is the name of the one-month fasting period. It is when Muslims fast for almost 12 hours a day. They fast from dawn until sunset. Apart from not eating and drinking, they are also forbidden to smoke. Only sick people are excused from fasting. Muslims are expected to not lie, break promises or cheat during the month of Ramadan. The purpose of fasting is to remind all Muslims to self-control and submit to Allah, the holy one. Even youngsters are taught to fast!
What do they wear?
Women usually wear a Baju Kurung or a Baju Kebaya during the celebration of Hari Raya. While men also wear a Baju Kurung (which is a male version) with Kain Samping (which is a piece of cloth worn over their trousers), they also wear a songkok on their head.
What happens on the day of the celebration?
On the first day of the holidays, Muslims take a bath, put on perfume,dress in their best clothes, eat before the Aidilfitri Sunnah Prayer, perform the Aidilfitri Sunnah Prayer, recite the Takbir, and wishing others.
Food for breaking the fast
Some of the common delicacies they eat during the Hari Raya celebration are Otak-Otak which is a type of Asian fish cake, Satay a stick of grilled meat such as pork, chicken, lamb and beef and also the Lemang which is made of very sticky rice and served with coconut milk.
