Hari Raya Puasa

Before Hari Raya Puasa, we (muslim) have to "puasa" (fast). Fasting prohibits us from eating, drinking, even having bad thoughts (therefore covers having arguments with others). Puasa month starts 1-month before Hari Raya Puasa. As you can tell from the name Hari Raya Puasa, we celeberate for finishing Puasa.

1) Puasa month (also known as Bulan Ramadhan)
We don't take food/beverages from morning prayer (about 5am ++) until evening prayer (about 7pm ++). The time will varies in different area (where the sun rises and sets at different timing).
It is easy for us to stay away from hunger/thristy if we have enough meals before 5sth, that meal we called it "Saho". Then after 7sth, we break the fast (buka puasa).

2) Hari Raya Puasa

a) Eve
Same as others, this is the best time for all the family members to reunion. We all go back to our hometown (balik kampung). It is my habit to return one day before the 1st day of Hari Raya Puasa. So that I can fast 1 day in my hometown, and break-fast with my family members. It is fun eating with them.

Hari raya eve, after the last day of fasting, we prepare food for Hari Raya.

Common food will be "ketupat".


b) Day 1
We will wear new cloths. We usually have colour themes for each family. This year, my family members selected green colour. Therefore, everyone wears green. We will decide on the colours months ago, so that we can buy the clothes or ask tailor to make new clothes for all family member with the same clothes. Therefore, it is common to see mother and daughters wearing the same pattern of clothes, as they are made by the same tailor! I bought a ready-made shirt from JohnMaster, since I'm still single. I think I will love to have tailor-made cloth after I have my own family.

Early in the morning, the kids have to greed (salam) the parents (or whoever older). Salam is a manner that all Malays are taught since young before you know how to say "hello, uncle". We hold the hand of the older, and kiss his/her hand. Or alternatively, we can just put his/her hand on our forehead. This is to show respect, and greed the olders. And they will tap our head to give us blessing.


The kids salam-kan the parents, and getting green packet (same like red packet for Chinese, money is inside the packet). Also, u can see all of them wearing in GREEN.

After that, all family members will go to the grave to greed the deadone. My parents passed away when I was young. So, we went to greed them.


Since we cant kiss their hand, we clean up the grave area.

And there continue our house-visiting. Each house we go, they will serve us food = ketupat, cookies etc.... We have to eat almost everything they served, to show that we appreciate their host. So, eat eat eat eat till the end of the 1st day and continue on 2nd, 3rd day....


eat eat eat eat....

c) Malay traditional cloth
We prefer the silk material, as it is soft and cool. Normally buttons are not included. So that we can select the colour of button.


The button on top is removed.


The button which can easily tuck into the shirt.

By Teddy Din