By Ahmad Al-Furaij, KUNA,
Kuala Lumpur : Muslims in Malaysia are preparing for Eid Al-Fitir, the greatest religious celebration in the country which they refer to here as “Hari Raya,” meaning the day of celebrations.
The streets, malls and traditional markets are decorated for this great occasion, not only in major cities and suburbs, but also the villages, where various kinds of sweets and desserts are sold in malls, shops and public markets and Malaysians exchange these treats presents.
Most Malaysians prefer to celebrate Hari Raya in their hometowns and villages, where they visit their grandparents and relatives. In the final nights of the holy month of Ramadan, they begin to prepare for the celebrations, and streets leading to major states and provinces see heavy traffic.
One of the most famous aspects of Hari Raya is the offering of “Raya,” which is an amount of money put in small envelopes that are nicely decorated with Islamic sayings and emblems, besides lighting fireworks, which children look forward to more than anything else during this occasion.
People are keen to perform Eid prayers, and children enjoy wandering around the houses to collect as much “Raya” as they can, while people visit their relatives, exchange gifts and enjoy big feasts.
All those aspects of preparations for Eid Al-Fitir and later on in the year for Eid-Al-Adha, make one sense that Malaysia truly is an Islamic country, even thought around 40 percent of its people are non-Muslims.
Malaysians get dressed in the traditional customs during Eid, where men and children wear the “Baju melayu,” while women and young girls wear the “Baju kurung.”