Eid Mubarak 2012

Salam Aidilfitri everyone, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir & Batin..

                                                                 Memories

I can’t remember the last time I looked forward for Hari Raya. When I was a kid, Hari Raya is something like highlight of the year (besides of my birthday off course). I just loved the heat and the preparations. Emak will be busy cooking rendang, kuah kacang, and baking her homemade cookies,  (and I helped!) It was really fun! Chocolate chips, kuih makmur, semperit and kuih kacang will be spread of on our coffee table.

Abah will be busy making the ketupat. He taught me how to make one, but I always take it lightly and end up tied the daun kelapa into a ribbon (and proudly showed to him).  My older brothers are busy with hanging new curtains, changing the cushions cover and put up the pelita around the house. My little brother and I counting days to Raya, we just can’t wait to put on our new clothes and to collect our green packet filled with money.

As I entered my teenage years, I find that Hari Raya has lost its charm; No more homemade cookies by emak, and worst, I am not entitle for angpau anymore. I am no longer feels the thrills waking up early in the morning for Hari Raya. Aidilfitri has lost its excitements.

A family I call my own



My feelings towards Aidilfitri change as I move on in life. Now that I have my husband, Faiz and my daughter, Sara (and soon my son, Noah) in my life, Hari Raya is the day I looked forward for the most. Preparing baju raya for Sara thrill me so much (I lost count how many baju kurung, kebaya and kebaya nyonya I bought for her), ibu’s wonderful lontong and palembang, and emak’s mouthwatering ketupat and rendang (thank god I’m pregnant, no one will notice me putting on weight). The celebrations spirit is at rise now. Me and hubs trying our best to give Sara the best raya she deserves. The happiness in her face playing with her cousins, watching fire crackers, let her light up her own sparklers (and looked amazed)  is priceless.

Too bad she doesn’t get a chance to have this ‘balik kampung’ feeling. Her maternal atuk is from Segambut KL and nenek is from Banting (which is 30 minutes away) and her paternal atuk and nenek is from Klang (like 15 min away).  Thus, the idea of ‘balik kampung’ to our family is no longer relevant.

Takbir Raya

We started our Raya with takbir recital. This is like a tradition in my in-laws house. A group of people will come to the house and recites doa and takbir on the night before raya. After the takbir, we served some refreshments to the entire guests.

First Day Raya

After the prayers, we went to Atuk’s house in Klang. All relatives were there. It’s a big family gathering where we will queue from the oldest to youngest and have this customs forgiveness session (and angpau will be given for the kids).  Off course this will followed by photo sessions for all of us. We went to extended family houses nearby; this is when we met the relatives we barely knew.

 Second Day Raya



we are good to go!



We spend our second raya in Banting. We have this perfect rotation where this year all of us spend our first raya at the in-laws. So we only met and gathered on second raya. We went to visit our relatives on third raya, Pak long and Mak andak in Segambut, step gradma in Tanjung Karang, Pak Lang in Rawang and Pak Ngah in Kuang all in 1 day *phewww*.
                        

                                                                     Third Day Raya

our little nyonya

Segambut was flooded!! as seen on tv ;p

We haven’t finished visiting our relatives yet. Thank god raya last for 1 month. We still have plenty of times. Hari Raya is the day to strengthen family ties and to seek forgiveness from each other. So don’t be a couch potato watching raya programs on TV! Go visit your family and friends. Haha…

Selamat Hari Raya everyone!!