Outline
Eidul Fitr or Hari Raya
Introduction
1. Clothes and Home Decorations
a. buying new clothes
b. planning for home decorations
2. Food and thanksgiving feast
a. traditional food
b. open house
3. Obligations and Supererogation
a. zakat or alms
b. congregational Eid prayer
4. Gatherings
a. bonding session
b. open house
Closer
The Muslims
community all over the world celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri, also is known
Eidul Fitr. In Ramadhan, Muslims get many benefits that bring us close to our
God and the people around us. We can conclude the purpose of fasting in Islam
is to develop and strengthen our self-control so that we can resist wrongful
desires and bad habits. Therefore, it is called as ‘guard against evil’. Other than
that, charity and generosity is especially urged during Ramadhan. Muslims learn
to give. The deprivation of fasting makes us sympathies with the suffering of
others less fortunate and it makes us remember the blessing of life which we normally
take for granted.
In Malaysia,
the excitement to celebrate Eidul Fitr starts before the day comes. We, people
start to think and plan for the preparations since the first day of fasting,
where all members of the families start shopping for new clothes. Either buy at
the shopping complex or go to the personal tailor to sew the clothes as they
desire to Malaysians having their own tradition clothes where the women wear
baju kurung and the men with baju melayu. Generally, traditional Malay outfit
consisting of matching long tunic and skirt for women or matching shirt and
pants for men. It is so nice to see everyone wearing new clothes on the special
day. Other than that, Muslims also make early preparation to decorate the
house. Sometimes after a long time use the same decorations, they will furnish
their home with new furniture. It changes the mood and increase the excitement
to celebrate the Eidul Fitr.
Furthermore,
Eidul Fitr does not complete without a lot of delicious variety and mouth -watering
food. For instance, the main menu for our country is lemang, satay, ketupat, rendang
and other marvellous food that will make someone droll. Ketupat is made from
rice that will be boiled in a pouch of woven palm while rending is a rich and
savoury dry beef or chicken curry dish. There are also delicious hand-made
biscuits or cakes. Everyone will be able to eat all kind of food when they visit
other people or family member houses. Moreover, there must be an event called as
an open house. The open house will be held since the first day until the end of
the month. People are eager to invite their friends, families and the most prominent
they will invite the orphans to cherish them. This is the best time to make
them feel happy and entertain them with scrumptious food.
Eidul Fitr, also known as Hari
Raaya Aidilfitri is the most prominent celebration for Muslims all around the
world to mark the end of Ramadhan or is so called the fasting month. By the eve
of Eidul Fitr, Muslims will have to pay their alms or is known as Zakat Fitrah
which is then distributed to the less fortunate and poor. It is a religious tax
paid on the day when Muslims break the fasting period at the end of Ramadhan.
Paying the alms is obligatory on every Muslim who is mature enough and
economically active. After getting pleased with new clothes and traditional
food, we usher in the morning with Eidul prayer in the mosque. Congregational Eidul
Fitr prayer refers to Muslims attend to the mosque to perform the prayer after
the sun rises up to just before the noon. After the prayer, it follows suit
with a visit to graves. We recite some prayers to the loved ones who had left
long time ago. Next, we gather with our big family in our grandparents’ home to
seek forgiveness. It is our duty to ask forgiveness, forget the old grudges and
embrace each other. This is done in order of family seniority and the younger
one will get ang pao. In Asian societies,
colourful envelopes will be given as a monetary gift during special occasions.
Cultural festivals in Malaysia are
usually colourful and exciting. It portrays the spirit of unity despite the
different of religions. Malaysians usually hold open houses for special
festivals like Chinese New Year and Deepavali aside from Eidul Fitr’s open
house. Sweets, cookies and traditional food are prepared and shared with
friends, relatives and neighbours. Guests are served with common traditional
food such as lemang; sticky rice in
bamboo and satay; marinated strips of chicken or beef. It is very conventional
during this very special occasion to have some bonding session with them. This promotes
the spiritual of brotherhood. During night, the most significant point is all
mosques, homes and buildings are brightly up with pelita to express the joy in this month. Children usually prepare
this bamboo oil lamp with their friends to lit up the night. It reflects the
mood of this festival.
Eidul Fitr is a great day of
thanksgiving. We celebrate by wearing new clothes, preparing sweets, forgiving
each other and putting the lights up almost everywhere. Moreover, we display
this thanksgiving festival by giving donations to less fortunate and we share
feasts with each other. A common greeting during this month is Selamat Hari Raya which means ‘Have a
blessed Eid’. Muslims celebrate this kind of festival because of God’s order
and for the sake of His mercy.
