Eid in Kuala Lumpur – A bright celebration

The festival Eid-Ul Fitr also known as Hari Raya Aidilfitri in Malaysian is the Muslim celebration that takes place on the 10th month according to the Muslim calendar (Syawal). The festivities are to signify the end of a month of fasting, which is known as the Ramadan period.

Ramadan | Image Credit: john1cse via Pixabay

Ramadan | Image Credit: john1cse via Pixabay

The Ramadan month

This is the holiest of months for the Muslim devotees in Malaysia which amounts to about 60% of the population. During this month is compulsory that every person old enough to do so must abstain from eating, drinking or smoking during the day. This is done so that one may gain spiritual strength and develop good qualities such as patience and humility.

Religious observances

In the month of Ramadan, devotees give more priority to religious activities. Reading the Qu’ ran is considered an act that is most holy. The Holy Qur’an is recited each day. All 30 sections of the Qur’an are recited at the mosque, this is called Tarawih. The entire Holy Book must be recited throughout the Ramdan month.

Festival Preparations

Muslims, especially during this time, are ready to splurge their money on new clothes, textiles and baking utensils and ingredients. Well, it is safe to say that this is the best time to shop in Malaysia as prices are brought down. Malls are all spruced up for the occasion as well with lights and ketupat shaped ornaments. Moreover, spring cleaning and cooking up some yummy food is part of getting ready too.

The day of Hari Raya

Despite the fact that this is a massive celebration, greeting each other with the phrase ‘Selamat Hari Raya, maaf zahir dan batin’ means that the devotees ask forgiveness from one another for any wrong doing that has caused them physical or emotional pain. Streets are deserted as people go back to their home towns to be with family. The day of celebration starts with prayers early morning followed by visits to graves of family memebers. After all this comes the merry making and fun. If you happen to be in the country at this time, checkout the tasty traditional food at a Ramadan buffet in KL such as the buffet at The Westin Kuala Lumpur, for this is a great Eid experience.

Filled with wanderlust that seeks to explore distant shores and captivated by the colors and vibrancy of exotic cultures, Kanya Mae writes on the beautiful, exciting, and enchanting wonders of the world. She is a writer who not only has a passion for travel, but also has a background in fashion, art and media. Google+

Hari Raya Celebrations in Malaysia – A colourful festival

The end of the Ramadan months signals the beginning of a festival called Hai Raya Puasa in Malaysia. With most of the population in the country being Muslims, the festivities are celebrated in on a grand scale. Here are some facts about Hari Raya Puasa.

Hari Raya Celebrations | Image Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/84493444@N00">William Cho</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hari_Raya_@_The_City_2009_(3826110389).jpg">Hari Raya @ The City 2009 (3826110389)</a>, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode" rel="license">CC BY-SA 2.0</a>

Hari Raya Celebrations | Image Credit: William Cho, Hari Raya @ The City 2009 (3826110389), CC BY-SA 2.0

Before the feast

Ramadan is said to be the 9th month on the Islamic colander is also one of the holiest months for Muslims. During this period, the devotees avoid eating, drinking and smoking during the day. This act of fasting and abstinence is for one to learn good virtues like patience, humility and spirituality while surrendering oneself to Allah. The period of fasting begins at dawn and ends at 4 pm.

Prayer time

During this one month of fasting, Muslims take an extra effort to engage in religious practices. The holiest act that a Muslim can do during this period is to read the Qur’an daily. Tarawih is a recital that includes reading all 30 sections of the Qur’an while at the mosque. It is imperative that the entire Qur’an has been recited throughout the month.

Getting ready

Preparing for Hari Raya means buying new clothes, spring cleaning and cooking up delicious food. Special foods such as dates, lemang (glutinous rice and coconut milk steamed inside bamboo sticks), ketupat (glutinous rice wrapped in weaved pandan leaves). The faithful serve themselves quite a large plate when breaking fast. All kinds of unique foods are sold at fairs only at this time of the year.

Celebrations

The ending of Ramadan is decided by looking at the moon. On the day of celebration, Muslims wake up before dawn and pray, afterwards, they dress up in brand new clothes and take part in special morning rituals. Once this is done, breakfast is served at home and then starts all the fun. If you will be in Malaysia in time for the festivities, try out the Ramadan buffet 2018 in hotels like The Westin Kuala Lumpur to get a taste of one-of-a-kind delicacies served.

Fritzjames Stephen is a travel writer, who writes content based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life. Google+