Tag: Eid al-Fitr

Categories
Wonderful Malaysia

Hari Raya Puasa (Hari Raya Aidilfitri)

The Muslim community in Malaysia and all over the world celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri, or also known as Hari Raya Puasa, to conclude the Ramadan holy month of fasting. Hari Raya Aidilfitri is regarded as a merry celebration as it marks a person’s triumph and success on discipline and self-resistance which symbolizes refinement and rebirth.

It is necessary for Muslims to fast during the month of Ramadan, where they have to maintain their self-resistance in satisfying their basic needs and urges between sunrise till sunset. They abstain from food and drinks, as well as from smoking and sexual relations. It is also important that they keep their minds pure and not harbor any ill thoughts or intentions during this holy month.

The fasting doesn’t deter the celebrants from making preparations to welcome Hari Raya Aidilfitri. The excitement builds up way before the first day, where families start to shop for new clothes, delicacies and goodies and furnish their home with new furniture and decoration weeks. Brightly-colored lights, in the common hues of green, yellow and gold, can be seen adorning the mosques and the offices of government agencies.

When the new moon is seen on the evening of the last day of Ramadan, the fasting period comes to an end. Such sightings are made by religious officials at various hilltops throughout the country and when the crescent moon is seen, the following day marks the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

On the morning of Hari Raya, the men perform prayers at the mosque while children ask for forgiveness from their parents. The little ones will also be given ‘duit raya’ or gifts of money in small green packets. While the first three days of Hari Raya are usually reserved for catching up with the family, many families hold open houses throughout the month where friends and neighbors of other races are invited to share conversation, laughter and a variety of cookies, candy and traditional delicacies.

hari-raya-aidilfitri-1

Ketupat is one of the must-haves at Hari Raya. It is served together with beef rending (beef cooked with coconut milk and malay spices) together with satay (skewered grilled meat). Other delicious delicates are such as lemang (glutinous rice cooked in bamboo tubes), serunding (dry coconut fried with chilli) and curry chicken.

hari-raya-aidilfitri-2

hari-raya-aidilfitri-3

In Malaysia, the first two days are regarded as public holidays but most will take a week off for this celebration. Those working in the cities will return to their hometowns (balik kampung) and reunite with their parents, relatives and old friends in the celebration of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, leaving the cities quiet and empty during the festive season (usually there are very good airline deals in the weeks/months before the Balik Kampung period). Although the cities start to be populated again at the end of the week, the celebration doesn’t end there as one month of Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations follow a month of fasting. People continue visiting each other’s homes and throwing open houses until the festivities approaches its end 30 days later. It isn’t often that festivities last for a month long, so take the opportunity to catch up with friends and family while indulging in the various delicacies!

Share

Tagging:
, , , , , , , , ,

More related articles

Categories
All Malaysia Info

Festivals and celebrations in Malaysia

Malaysia has a number of festivals and celebrations,  most of which are either religious or cultural in origin, and are swathed in traditions and rituals.

Malaysia. A country where one can experience a multitude of cultural celebrations and festivals, as well as, and most importantly, good food(!) all year round.

Almost every month of the year, tourists and locals alike immerse themselves in one celebration or another, thanks to the diverse cultural practices we have.

To help our foreign friends have a better overview of the festivities to look forward to when visiting Malaysia, and also for the benefit of locals, here is a list of the monthly cultural celebrations and festivities Malaysia has to offer.

(Note: Some celebrations may vary from year to year as they are based on lunar calendars.)

Thousands flock to Batu Caves to participate in the Thaipusam Festival.

January

Thaipusam
Celebrated by the Tamil community, the manifestation of Thaipusam is best witnessed at Batu Caves in Selangor, or in Penang. The jaw-dropping sight of devotees carrying ornately decorated frames, better known as kavadis, would stay with you long after you’ve experienced it; this unique festival is a sight to behold.

February

Chinese New Year
Celebrated worldwide by the Chinese to mark the first day of the New Year in the Chinese lunar calendar, the celebrations last for 15 days. Expect fireworks, lion dances, the prominence of the colour red, and open houses with scrumptious Chinese meals!

Chap Goh Mei, or the 15th night of Chinese New Year, symbolises the end of the festival. To celebrate the Chinese version of Valentine’s Day, young women inscribe messages or well-wishes on oranges and throw them into lakes or ponds.

April

Good Friday
Held in churches to mark the “saddest day” in the Christian calendar, it is observed in remembrance of Christs’ Passion, crucifixation and death. On the Sunday that follows Good Friday, Easter Sunday is celebrated to commemorate the resurrection of Christ.

Malaysia Water Festival
A country with natural settings of lakes, beaches, seas, Malaysia hosts this event annually with a variety of water-based sports. Activities such as kayaking, fishing, and cross-channel swimming promises a whole load of adrenaline-pumping time!

May

Wesak Day
Celebrated by Buddhists to pay homage to Buddha and to mark the three significant events in Buddha’s life (his birthday, enlightenment, and achievement of Nirvana) the festival begins with meditation and prayers. Donations are made to the poor and needy.

Harvest Festival
Known to Sabahans as Pesta Ka’amatan, it is a thanksgiving festival to celebrate the rice harvest. The festivities include traditional sports such as the buffalo race, the best tapai (rice wine) competition, and the “Unduk Ngadau” or Ka’amatan Queen Competition.

June

Hari Gawai
The Gawai Dayak is celebrated in Sarawak to mark the end of the paddy harvesting season. It also marks the beginning of the new planting season, and activities such as dancing, singing, and a considerable amount of drinking tuak (rice wine) take place in the longhouses.

Dragon Boat Festival
Known also as the Chang Festival or Duanwu Festival, it commemorates a patriot and poet in China named Qu Yuan. The best place to witness the celebrations is in Penang, where the annual Penang International Dragon Boat Festival takes place on a grand scale.

Rowers going all out during the annual dragon boat race in Penang.

July

Rainforest World Music Festival
Held in the grounds of the Sarawak Cultural Village, the annual three-day music festival is fast becoming the largest musical event in Malaysia. It celebrates the diversity of world music, while at the same time highlighting the use of traditional acoustic world instruments.

August

Independence Day
Commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya from the British in 1957, August 31 holds a special place in the hearts of all Malaysians. The biggest celebration of the event takes place annually at Merdeka Square, or more commonly known as Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur.

Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Also known as Hari Raya Puasa, it marks the culmination of Ramadhan, during which Muslims the world over fast for a whole month. Traditional Malay food such as rendang, ketupat, and lemang is served. This is also a time to forgive and forget past quarrels, where family members ask for forgiveness from friends and family members.

Hungry Ghost Festival
Observed among the Chinese, the festival commemorates the opening of hell’s gates for the spirits from the lower realm to roam freely for a month. Things to note during the festival are the larger than life papier-mache figures and performances of Chinese opera and Ko-Tai (energetic singing and dancing with performers in glittering costumes).

September

Malaysia Day
September 16 commemorates the establishment of the Malaysian federation in 1963, with the joining of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore to form Malaysia.

Mid-Autumn Festival
Fondly known as the Tanglung (Lantern) Festival or the Mooncake Festival, it is celebrated by the Chinese to mark the end of the harvesting season. Mooncakes are a must as it also commemorates Chang Er, the moon goddess.

Father and daughter inspecting the hanging Tanglungs (Lanterns).

October

Hari Raya Haji
To commemorate the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha, the occasion is marked most significantly by the conclusion of the annual Haj (pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca). Sacrificial-slaughtering, or korban, takes place in mosques, and the meat is distributed to the poor and needy.

November

Deepavali
Also commonly referred to as Diwali or Festival of Lights, the festival is significant to all Hindus as it symbolises the triumph of good over evil. Oil lamps are lit to ward off darkness and evil, and like every other major cultural festivals in Malaysia, open houses are held.

December

Christmas
A religious festival to mark the birth of Jesus Christ for Christians, Christmas in Malaysia is celebrated like everywhere else in the world. However, Christmas is also viewed as a universal celebration by many, one that that carries a secular rather than religious meaning. Even without the traditional “white Christmas”, the celebrations carry on with a kaleidoscope of lights, endless Christmas displays, and crazy shopping deals for all!

Kaamatan

Pesta Kaamatan

Oil Lamp or Vilakku

Deepavali – The Festival of Lights

Miss World Malaysia 2009 Thanuja Ananthan

Colours of Deepavali [PIC]

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Categories
Wonderful Malaysia

Hari Raya Haji in Malaysia

Many, especially the non-Muslims, wonder what exactly Hari Raya Haji is, why there are two Hari Rayas and why Hari Raya Haji is important enough to be observed as a public holiday. If you are in the dark or have always wondered but not bothered enough to Google why, read on for a ‘crash course’ on Hari Raya Haji (also known as Hari Raya Aidiladha).

Traditionally, any Muslim who does not have any financial or physical constraints is required to make a trip at least once in their lifetime to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the haj pilgrimage event. After the pilgrimage, the title of ‘haji’ will be given to the men and ‘hajjah’ to the women. The day Hari Raya Haji is celebrated marks the end of the pilgrimage, indicating that Hari Raya Haji is indeed a festival and a day to celebrate those who have visited the holy city and completed their pilgrimage.

Hari Raya Haji 1

During the Haj period, tens of thousands of Muslims swarm the holy city of Mecca to perform specific rituals, one of which is walking counter-clockwise seven times around the Ka’abah, which is a cube-shaped structure covered with a black cloth that symbolizes the Muslim prayer direction. Devotees also kiss the black stone at the corner of Ka’abah, move back and forth between Al-Safe and Al-Marway, drink from the Zam Zam well, stand at Mount Arafar, throw stones, shave their heads and lastly, sacrifice an animal before concluding the rituals of Hari Raya Haji.

The sacrifice slaughtering doesn’t only take place in Mecca but at almost every mosque in the country. The sacrifice typically takes place at around 11a.m. until noon. The sacrifice of an animal is done to honour Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son, Ismail, as a sign of respect to the God. The child’s life was spared at the very last moment when God took Ismail’s place and gave.

Hari Raya Haji 2

Korban (“slaughter”) will only be performed by a male devotee. Usually, cows will be slaughtered but at times, goats are sacrificed as well. Individuals or families who can afford to contribute an animal will purchase one and donate it to the mosque; at times even the state government contributes too. To minimize the suffering of the animal, the slaughtering process is done swiftly. A prayer is made during the sacrifice; it is believed that toxins will be eliminated from the animal upon recital of the prayers. A portion of the meat is kept for the family while the others are distributed to the local community, especially to those in need.

While Hari Raya Aidilfitri is celebrated on a grander scale with new clothes, cookies and delicacies, Hari Raya Haji is a quieter affair celebrated to commemorate the sacrifices made by the prophet.

Below the Hari Raya Haji dates for the next few years:

26 October, 2012
15 October, 2013
05 October, 2014
24 September, 2015
13 September, 2016
2 September, 2017
22 August, 2018
12 August, 2019
31 July, 2020

Share

Tagging:
, , , , , ,

More related articles

Categories
Wonderful Malaysia

Can I visit Malaysia during Ramadan?

Ramadan is known around the world as the Muslim month of fasting, during which Muslims refrain from eating and drinking (among others) from dawn until sunset.

In 2012 Ramadan started in Malaysia on the 21st of July and lasts until Hari Raya Puasa that marks the end of Ramadan and is celebrated by a 2 day National Holiday (19th and 20th of August 2012).

You would probably think that Ramadan is all about not eating, but in Malaysia it actually is still about eating, but contrary to normal days it is not possible 24/7.

During Ramadan travelers may experience the days to be a bit dull and less vibrant, especially in local areas. You have to keep in mind that to some it is quite difficult to go on with their daily lives without any food or drinks. People still work, do business and exercise, but they can only eat before sunrise and after sunset.

We clearly notice that people have to get adjusted to not eating during the day. During the first days of Ramadan we usually encounter people that are grumpy or plain frustrated. This especially goes for traffic, the amount of accidents are always much higher during Ramadan.

In bigger cities like Kuala Lumpur and Georgetown you will hardly notice anything different, mainly because the percentage of Muslims is much lower over there. For example residents of Chinese origin will still eat during the days, so travelers should be on the lookout for Chinese restaurants in order to enjoy a nice local lunch. In almost every popular tourist spot in Malaysia you can easily get a meal during the day. The same goes for the eateries within modern shopping malls, here too business is as usual (albeit rather quiet during the day in some areas).

In other cities and more local areas Ramadan is clearly visible. For example, in states like Kelantan, Kedah and Kuala Terengganu, shops and restaurants often stay closed during the days. Only around noon do they open, in order to be able to sell food to the people. This food is not eaten on the spot, but everything is bought for later that day, as people can only start eating after sundown.

We once visited Kota Bharu and Kuala Terengganu during Ramadan, and experienced a special atmosphere. During the day both cities seemed deserted, but at night it pleasantly came back to live again. Travelers have no reasons to stay away from these areas during Ramadan. Though days might be quiet and perhaps less vibrant, the nights absolutely make up for it.

Another amazing example of Ramadan we experienced was in the city of Kuantan. Here we were strolling down the streets in the city center and suddenly we noticed a food court that was full with people, but everybody was quiet. What struck us odd was that all had a hot dinner plate on the table in front of them, but nobody was eating. Then the prayer started and soon after everybody started eating, and the food court made that typical buzzing sound again.

During Ramadan all major hotels and restaurants have a special Ramadan Buffet. Here you can eat as much as you want for a fixed price. Often the best hotels are competing with each other on which one has the best Ramadan Dinner Buffet. Locals (even non-muslims) bring their whole families to these restaurants to ‘break the fast’ (also known as berbuka puasa or iftar).

ramadan malaysia buffet

It is also customary to invite people over for a intimate dinner at home. It is not uncommon that travelers are invited by locals, as Ramadan is also about doing good things for others. Welcoming foreigners into their houses is a good example of friendliness towards others.

ramadan malaysia open house

An open house is usually done the first few days of Hari Raya Aidilfitri (after the end of Ramadan), but sometimes you even get invited for an open house weeks after Aidilfitri. We’ve been invited to many ‘open houses’ ourselves over the years and it’s safe to say that if you decline an invitation you are missing out on a wonderful cultural experience.

Every day during Ramadan you can witness local Ramadan Bazaars. Here you can buy food, groceries, fruits and snacks. Some snacks are typically sold during Ramadan, often very sweet. Food at the Bazaar is usually very cheap. We sometimes get our food there too, and for RM25 (which equals to about €6) you have a dinner table full of dishes and snacks. Ramadan Bazaars usually start around 4.30pm and close at 7.30pm.

ramadan bazaar malaysia 2

ramadan bazaar malaysia 3

ramadan bazaar malaysia 4

Typical dishes you can buy at the Bazaar are fried chicken wings and legs, char kway teow, roti murtabak, rendang, satay, ketupat and much more. Popular snacks are kuih lapis (in several colors), kuih dadar, ondeh ondeh, cucur, caramel jelly cake and of course dodol. No Bazaar is complete without a sugar cane juice vendor. The great thing is that everything is prepared fresh on the spot.

ramadan bazaar malaysia 5

ramadan bazaar malaysia 1

ramadan bazaar malaysia 7

ramadan bazaar malaysia 8

ramadan bazaar malaysia 6

ramadan bazaar malaysia snacks 1

So to get back at the main question, can I visit Malaysia during Ramadan, the answer is a wholehearted ‘yes’. The Holy month of Ramadan is a special month with many cultural highlights. Travelers are able to experience this up close when they are in Malaysia during this time, and we are certain that they will love it!

Share

Categories
Tourism Malaysia

MPO’s Native Foray

October 27, 2011 at 2:00 pm

Malaysians are very lucky to be blessed with so many wonderful things. Except for the occasional riots and demonstrations, there has been no life-threatening wars or genocide after World War II. Though the country was also affected by the downturn of the economy back in the 80s, most people still had jobs and enough funds to support their family. Children grew up playing together with their friends of all races, and it has become second nature for us to visit our friends during festive occasions such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri or even Deepavali.

The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra ensemble will be performing original music inspired by Datuk Siti Nurhaliza

Dewan Filharmonik Petronas will present a brand new musical concoction that is inspired by life in Malaysia. Entitled ‘MPO’s Native Foray’, this musical will be led by Marques Young, the Co-Principal Trombone of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. The ensemble will perform original music inspired by P. Ramlee, Sheila Majid, Fela Kuti, Siti Nurhaliza, Ibrahim Ferrer and James Brown.

Performances are scheduled to start at 8.30 pm on 29th October 2011. Tickets are priced at RM 58 for all seats. Early birds will be entitled to purchase these tickets at RM 48 (limited to the first 100 tickets sold). Patrons who are attending the function are required to be in smart casual dress code. For more information, please log on to the website here.

Photo (c) Azrol Azmi

Tags: , , , , , ,