Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Aidilfitri’s Day Hari Raya Aidilfitri.........the moment that all muslims wait .. Muslims in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore celebrate Eid like other Muslims throughout the world..it's a very important occassion.It is also known as the festival that marks the end of one month of fasting. The words ‘Hari Raya’ mean 'day of celebration.' ..I can't wait to celebrate Hari Raya because I can meet my family,relatives and friends....Before I can celebrate Hari Raya,I have to go through the fasting month. Fasting month and also known as Ramadan.. What is Ramadan? Ummhhh...To me,Ramadan is the name of the one-month fasting period when Muslims fast for a period of almost 12 hours. They fast from dawn till sunset. It is a known fact that during the period of fasting, apart from eating and drinking Muslims are also forbidden from smoking and having sexual relations. Only the sick are excused from fasting during this month. Muslims are expected to avoid lying, breaking promise or cheating during the month of Ramadan. In a country like Singapore where there are a number of Muslims, Hari Raya preparations can be seen at least one month before the festival. Geylang Serai, the place that is known for the Muslims to gather, is always filled with large crowds during Ramadan. Bazaars would be set up and they would be selling numerous festive items for Muslims.. At night the place is lit up with glittering lights. There would also be a wide variety of food which would be sold at the fairs and they include kuehs, otah-otah, cakes, curry, noodles and even curry puffs. Most of the Muslims shop here to get the food to bring home to eat when they are breaking the fast. I know it just because my mom is Singaporean. Days before Hari Raya, my house display oil lamps will reach its height on the 27th night of Ramadan, called the Tujuh Likur night. 'Likur' literally meaning a figure between 20 and 30, hence 'tujuh likur' means twenty seven.