My family’s favourite tradition is celebrating Eid al-Fitr commemorating the end of the dawn-to-

dusk fasting in Ramadhan. This holiday is particularly important in the lives of Muslims
worldwide and this is no exception to my family.
By sunrise of Eid al-Fitr, my family and I ready ourselves to go to the nearby mosque. We’d
prepare with beautiful traditional clothing that is the ‘Baju Melayu’ and ‘Baju Kurung’ and a
light breakfast before our banquet with relatives after our Eid prayers. Sounds of takbirs fill the
morning ambience. At the mosque, people would wear their best traditional clothing to
celebrate this once-a-year festival.
After the Eid prayer and sermon, we as a family would gather together for our Hari Raya
picture as we are all donning our best clothing. Afterwards, my father would drive us to our
aunt’s for the family banquet.
Between our destination and home, we would stop at a graveyard to pay our dearly respect to
my deceased grandfather who have unfortunately passed away a decade ago. We’d recite
prayers from the Quran before continuing our journey home.
By evening, we would light up fireworks and watch as the fireworks soar up into the dark blue
sky and explode into hundreds of beautiful colourful lights. By a quarter past ten, we’d all get
ready for the night. After a long day, plus still another few long days of visiting relatives, It’d be
hard to not sleep soundly.
All and all, much of my extended family live worlds apart from us. Thus, barely could I ever see
them on the lone exception of Eid al-Fitr. They’d bare the cost and needs just to see family on
this special holiday.
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