As a malaysian citizens of the country, we celebrate many festival of mutiple races together, nevertheless, this year on October 24th and 25th will be the celebration of Hari Raya Puasa and October 21st for Deepavali of Malaysia.
Getting to know and understand each other among the different races is vital to uphold the harmony of living in Malaysia. The following portraits general elaboration of Hari Raya Puasa & Deepavali
Deepavali
Diwali (also called Deepavali) is a major Hindu festival. Known as the "Festival of Lights," it symbolises the victory of good over evil, and lamps are lit as a sign of celebration and hope for mankind. Celebrations focus on lights and lamps, particularly traditional diyas (as illustrated). Fireworks are associated with the festival in some regions of the country.
Deepavali is celebrated for five consecutive days in the Hindu month of Ashwayuja. It usually occurs in October/November, and is one of the most popular and eagerly awaited festivals of India. Hindus, Jains and Sikhs alike regard it as a celebration of life and use the occasion to strengthen family and social relationships. For Jains it is one of the most important festivals, and beginning of the Jain year. It is also a significant festival for the Sikh faith.
For Hindus, Diwali is not only a festival of lights but also a special occasion to worship Lord Vinayaka, Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Mahabali and Lord Mahavira.
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Hari Raya Aidilfitri (also Hari Raya Puasa, literally "Fasting Day of Celebration") is the Malay term for the Muslim festival of Eid ul-Fitr. Muslims in Malaysia and Singapore celebrate Eid like other Muslims throughout the world. The term "Hari Raya" literally means "Day of Celebration"; it is also occasionally used to refer to Eid ul-Adha in the form of "Hari Raya Aidiladha".
Fasting
During the Muslim month of Ramadhan leading up to Aidilfitri, it is mandatory for Muslims to fast from dawn to dusk. All Muslims except the young, old or infirm must fast. This is often respected by non-Muslim Malaysians, who tend to avoid eating in front of their friends or colleagues. Many Muslims also abstain from pleasures such as cigarettes during the fasting month.
At night, however, there are no dietary restrictions whatsoever. Often "pasar ramadhan" (Ramadhan markets) are opened, where all sorts of food and kuih (traditional Malay delicacies) are sold for breaking fast or "buka puasa". Hotels and restaurants have also exploited this situation to offer expensive Ramadhan buffets. This practice of overindulging has been criticised by Muslim clerics, notably the mufti of the traditionally fundamentalist state of Kelantan.
Preparation
The night before Aidilfitri, congregations will recite the takbiir, which is held in mosques or musollahs. In some communities, there will be congregations reciting the takbiir from house to house.
The Malays also traditionally return to their hometown from big metropolitan cities to rural areas. This is known as Balik Kampung — literally going back to one's home town to celebrate Aidilfitri with one's parents.
Celebrating
Usually before the night of celebrations,most housewives will be busy cooking and baking cakes or biscuits while their daughter and son are busy with the decorations of the house.It is common practices for Malay house to be light with "Pelita" or neon lights during the night of " Tujuh Likur"(3 last night of Ramadhan).
It is customary for Malays to wear traditional Malay costumes on the Eid. The dress for men is called baju melayu while the women's are known as baju kurung. In recent years, robes, adopted from Arabic tradition and culture, are added to the traditional attires for Eid. It is also common to see non-Malay muslims wear costumes of their culture — Indian Muslims can be seen wearing traditional Indian costumes, while it is common for American-Malaysian Muslims to wear Western clothes to mosques on the morning of Eid.
Once the prayer is completed, it is also common for Muslims in Malaysia to visit the grave of their loved ones. During this visit, they will clean the grave, perform the recital of the Surah Yaa Sin and also perform the tahlil ceremony. All these are done in hope that their loved ones are blessed by Allah and they are spared from the punishment in the grave.
The rest of the day is spent visiting relatives or serving visitors. Eid ul-Fitr is a very joyous day for children for this is the day where adults are extra generous. Children will be given token sums of money, also known as "duit raya" from their parents or elders.
At night, there is often a celebration with firecrackers; although they are illegal in Malaysia, many still purchase them on the black market. Several cases have been reported of people being injured by accidents involving firecrackers during Aidilfitri. Often, the lighting of firecrackers begins a few days before the end of Ramadhan, and continues for about a week afterwards.
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37th Gombak Eagle Scout Troop wishes all Muslims & Hindus:
Selamat Hari Raya! and Happy Deepavali!
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