Celebrating the end of Ramadhan
Written: Dec 27 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Where else can you walk in to the Prime Minister's house and have a meal on him?
Cons: You may need to go on a diet afterwards
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| cinimod's Full Review: Malaysia |
Imagine…
You are woken by the sound of the call to prayer at 5.30 in the morning. The sun will not rise for another hour, so you have breakfast with your family after the dawn prayer. This is the last food or water that you will have until the sun sets at around 7 p.m. Even smoking a cigarette is forbidden during daylight hours. You will follow this routine for the entire month of Ramadhan.
Can you do it?
This year, the Islamic New Year is celebrated two days after Christmas. Both festivals are public holidays in Malaysia, and most offices are closed the entire week between Christmas and New Year’s day. About 60% of the population of Malaysia are Muslims, and Ramadhan (the fasting month) is strictly observed. During the fasting month, Muslims may not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset. As Malaysia is near the equator, this means that the sun is up for about 12 hours even in December, and during the day, temperatures exceed 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit).
During the fasting month, hawker stalls are set up along many roads, selling delicacies for the breaking of the fast in the evening. This is the time to get special dishes such as Ayam Percik (Marinated chicken skewered and grilled), Dodol (A gooey coconut fudge), Rendang (Malay beef and chicken curry) and many other regional dishes that are hard to find at other times of the year. People get off work early to prepare for the breaking of fast, which is an important ritual. Rush hour ends the moment the sun sets, because everyone will be at home to “buka puasa” (break fast).
Decorations are put up on the streets – this year, we have Christmas and “Hari Raya” (Muslim New Year) decorations up together – and the malls are packed with shoppers. The excitement builds up to a crescendo on Christmas Day (this year), when the “sighting of the moon” takes place. The imams will decide when the month of Ramadhan ends according to whether the moon is sighted. Of course, it is now a formality, seeing as one knows beforehand whether the moon will be visible or not, but it is a tradition.
Here in Malaysia, the Muslim New Year is celebrated by all races, even non-Muslims. The Muslims will hold an “open house” where anyone can visit. This is the time to renew old friendships and sample the hospitality of the hosts. The open house is really “open” – you don’t have to know the host to walk in. This is a custom which many visitors find fascinating. In fact, on this day, you can walk into the Prime Ministers house, have a meal on him, and shake his hand, if you like. You don’t need an invitation.
The festivities go on for a whole month after that, with open houses being held several weeks after Hari Raya (although except for the first and second day, you will probably need an invitation to attend). All the weight that was lost during the fasting month is more than regained during this time!
By the time that all the Muslim New Year celebrations are finally over, it will be time to celebrate the Chinese New Year… if one plans carefully enough, it is possible to survive for about 2 months on going to open houses during this festival period! And then, you may go on a self-imposed fast…
You can do it!
Selamat Hari Raya! (Happy New Year).
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
cinimod
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Member: Dominic Lim
Location: World citizen (in an ideal world)
Reviews written: 42
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