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Eid al-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر ʻĪd al-Fiṭr, IPA: [ʕiːd al fitˤr],
"festival of breaking of the fast"), also called Feast of Breaking
the Fast, the Sugar Feast, Bayram (Bajram), the Sweet Festival and the Lesser
Eid, is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that
marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. The religious Eid
is a single day during which Muslims are not permitted to fast. The holiday
celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during
the entire month of Ramadan. The day of Eid, therefore, falls on the first day
of the month of Shawwal. This is a day when Muslims around the world show a
common goal of unity. The date for the start of any lunar Hijri month varies
based on the observation of new moon by local religious authorities, so the
exact day of celebration varies by locality. However, in most countries, it is
generally celebrated on the same day as Saudi Arabia.
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| Eid al-Fitr meal in Malaysia |
It is customary for workers in the city to return to their
home town to celebrate with their families and to ask forgiveness from parents,
in-laws, and other elders. This is known in Malaysia as balik kampung
(homecoming).
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| Ketupat is a popular traditional celebrative dish for Eid al-Fitr meal in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Southern Thailand. |
The night before Idul Fitri is filled with the sounds of
many muezzin chanting the takbir in the mosques or musallahs. In many parts Malaysia,
especially in the rural areas, pelita or panjut or lampu colok (as known by
Malay-Singaporeans) (oil lamps, similar to tiki torches) are lit up and placed
outside and around homes. Special dishes like ketupat, rendang, lemang (a type
of glutinous rice cake cooked in bamboo) and other Malay also Nyonya delicacies
such as various kuih-muih are served during this day. It is common to greet
people with "Salam Aidilfitri" or "Selamat Hari Raya" which
means "Happy Eid". Muslims also greet one another with "maaf
zahir dan batin", which means "Forgive my physical and emotional
(wrongdoings)".
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| The Baju Melayu and Baju Kurung |
It is customary for Muslim-Malaysians to wear a traditional
cultural clothing on Eid al-Fitr. The Malay variant (worn in Malaysia, Singapore,
Brunei and Southern
Thailand) is known as the Baju Melayu, shirt worn with a sarong
known as kain samping or songket and a headwear known as songkok. Malaysian
women clothing is referred to as Baju Kurung and baju kebaya. It is a common
practice however for the Malays in Singapore
and Johor, Malaysia to refer to the baju
kurung in reference to the type of outfit, worn by both men and women.
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| Rows of Pelita (oil lamps) which is used to illuminate homes and the streets during the season. Seen here in Muar, Johor, Malaysia |
In Malaysia,
especially in the major cities, people take turns to set aside a time for open
house when they stay at home to receive and entertain neighbours, family and
other visitors. It is common to see non-Muslims made welcome during Eid at
these open houses. They also celebrate by lighting traditional bamboo cannon
firecrackers known as meriam buluh, using kerosene in large hollow bamboo tubes
or Chinese imported crackers. The traditional bamboo cannon, meriam bambu, and
fireworks are notoriously loud and can be very dangerous to operator, bystander
and even nearby buildings. These are usually bamboo tubes 5–10 cm
(2.0–3.9 in) in diameter and 4–7 m (13–23 ft) long, filled with
either: water and several hundred grams of calcium carbide, or heated kerosene,
then ignited by match. Celebrating with firecrackers in the early morning during
Ramadan is now banned in many areas.
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| The elders giving out "duit raya" to children |
In Malaysia,
children are given token sums of money, also known as "duit raya",
from their parents or elders.
~Blog Admin~
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