This Coming Holiday Season...Joyful!

Despite the many holiday seasons in Malaysia, and I mean a whole lot, Hari Raya is the pick of the bunch. Mainly because of the fact that the country has a majority Muslim population, but also because that is usually when people would go back to their hometown and celebrate with their relatives (both known and sometimes unknown).

Me, well the thing is my wife is expecting our first child in November and her stomach is fully bloated right now so she probably wouldn't be able to sit in the car for too long. To be safe, I guess we'll just celebrate at home.

Despite the fact that we won't be with our relatives, we are quite happy to see out this holiday season with as much joy as we can gather just by being with each other. Of course my mom would be here as well so that covers the food part.

Aaah yes Hari Raya in Malaysia is different than in some other parts of the world. The common name for it throughout the world is 'Eidul Fitri which translate as festivity ('eid) and nature (fitrah). Of course after a long period of fasting fitri could also translate as the break of fast.

It is nothing short of magical really this festive season because of the fact that people disregard other, I would say, "political" sentiments to come together and celebrate the success of Ramadhan (fasting month). Though the mood would usually die out after the second week of this month long festive season, but it would still be grand throughout.

This is my first time celebrating this Raya with my wife and my unborn child so it would be really special despite not celebrating it in the traditional way. But I would still expect the same festive mood.

We also would like to invite people to our house on the third week of Raya. This is the first time we're opening up the house to anyone other than close family and also the first time we're organizing a gathering in our new (rented) house, so that's something to look forward to.

That's a lot of first huh? To think that this time last year I didn't even know what to do with my life.

So with Ramadhan only a couple days to go, I hope the Raya mood isn't going to catch up on me too fast. It would be a waste of precious Ramadhan moment wouldn't it?

Salam 'Eidul Fitri and have the best of Raya people! Drive safe!