5 things to do in Eidul Fitri

Eidul Fitri is an important festival for Muslims. It comes at the end of the holy month of Ramadhan. During Ramadhan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. This fasting is one of the pillars of Islam. When the new moon is sighted, it signifies the end of Ramadhan and the beginning of the month of Syawal. It also signifies that Eidul Fitri will be celebrated the next day.

At the evening, we going back to hometown and celebrating Eidul Fitri together with my grandmother, grandfather, my uncles, aunts and my cousins.. I am very happy at that time to meet all of them, play and chat with them. We talk together and laugh together. It’s was so much fun. Inside the house, the women make many varieties of cookies. Then, tidy up the house, take off  the curtain cloth that is old and replace curtain cloth that is new, cleaning item that many dust and others. Also, cook rendang and prepare satay  to go with ketupat. The men, check on the rows of lemang slowly cooking inside their bamboo casings in the open fire. The aroma of glutinous rice and coconut milk deliciously fills the air.

Days before Eidul Fitri, it is impossible to sleep. Tin lamps filled with oil are placed in the garden. They glow gently in the darkness. We are letting off firecrackers and fireworks. The atmosphere filled with the sound of exploding fireworks. However, my house which is often the noisiest, bursting with people and activity. There is a lot of calling and laughing.

We are all up very early on Eidul Fitri morning. Our uncles, aunts and cousins arrive early. It is wonderful to greet everyone and of course show off our new clothes. Everyone is in their traditional best, men in their baju melayu and women in their baju kurung. We walk to the nearby  mosque for the morning prayer. After that, we go to the cemetery to remember our beloved dead ones. We clean the graves and offer a prayer.

Back home, we ask for forgiveness from our elders. This is a sign of respect that I value very much. Of course, after that, we young ones get green pockets of money. As we are a large family, we get lots of money. It is great fun comparing and making sure that we have collected from every elder person.

In the late evening, the family gathers in the veranda after prayers. We talk of days past and in the future. We share our experiences and hopes. Eidul Fitri is a day of prayer, thanksgiving and celebration. It is also a day when the family reaffirms itself. It is a very special day and a very meaningful one to us.

That’s all for today and this is our last post. Thank you to all of you who spending the time to reads our blog. Have a nice day, bye!