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Celebrating Hari Raya Haji
Literally translated into
English, Hari Raya Haji
simply means the 'festival of pilgrimage'. The festival shall alight
upon us on this day, when our fellow Muslims can look forward to a
day of reflection and kindness towards their less fortunate friends,
and of course, not forgetting the – celebrations!
Now, what's Hari Raya Haji
all about? Come on, let's take a look at the background …
Background
The 5th tenet of Islam requires all Muslims to make a pilgrimage to
Mecca at least once in their lifetime, if they can afford it. Why
Mecca? Well, the eminent Prophet Mohammed was born in this Holy Land,
where the pilgrims are given the titles of Haji
for men and Hajjah for
women. Thus for many of our Muslim friends, the pilgrimage, commonly
known as the Haj, is probably
the most important journey in their lives.
Hari Raya Haji, a festival
celebrated by our fellow Muslims on the tenth day of the Zulhijjah
month, is a day to commemorate this religious occasion, and to honour
pilgrims who’ve completed their Haj
to Mecca. It’s a joyous affair, filled with festivities and cheer
to welcome the return of the assiduous pilgrims.
This occasion is also named Hari Raya
Korban - the festival of sacrifice. Sheep, goats and
cows are ritually slaughtered as sacrifices. This is typically done
in the mosque, after the morning Thanksgiving prayers are offered.
Though not a compulsory religious duty for everyone, it’s considered
an obligation for those who can afford it.
Of the meat obtained, one-third is traditionally kept by those who
performed the slaughter, while the rest is distributed. The recipients
include neighbours, friends and most importantly – the poor and needy.
Ahhh... now you know the significance of the merry ambience and acts
of goodwill. Since this is, no doubt, a happy event, we must of course
share it with our friends and relatives. And this is exactly what
our fellow Muslims do!
As in Christmas
and the Lunar
New Year, this is an auspicious day reigned with much entertaining
and visiting. These are done after the ceremonial prayers are offered
– prayers offered in remembrance of the dearly beloved deceased –
prayers offered in the morning visits to the mosque and cemetery.
Now wait! Did we say entertaining? Yes, we did! But not to worry …
with the abundance of home
cleaning, home
design, and even quick
décor hints available here, not to mention
a home
store for you to purchase those charming
accessories, you can put your mind completely at rest!
And what about the food? No problem too! There’re loads of fresh fruits
to compliment your delectable
kueh-kuehs and curries. And for those of you who wish to combine your
traditional culinary efforts with some modern desserts, there’s even
a cake store that offers you
as many as 35 choices for your selection!
Now … with all these taken care of, you can sit back and enjoy this
delightful Festival of Pilgrimage!
Selamat Hari Raya Haji!
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