The term “Hari Raya” literally means “Day of Celebration”. The main greeting used by Muslims in Malaysia is “Selamat Hari Raya” which means “Happy Eid”. Another greeting is “maaf zahir dan batin” which translates loosely to “I seek forgiveness physically and spiritually".
This Hari Raya my children's relatives from their father's side of the family took the trouble to visit us for the first time after a long absence. It was awkward for me initially because I wondered what we could talk about after not having met for so many years, and many of the younger ones I was meeting for the first time. Yes, it had been more than 2 decades since they last set foot in my house. However, at the end of the day, I realized that their visits were the highlight of Hari Raya for me this year. It was actually very nice meeting up with them again, to renew ties and to ask for forgiveness.
When they were young!
This Hari Raya my children's relatives from their father's side of the family took the trouble to visit us for the first time after a long absence. It was awkward for me initially because I wondered what we could talk about after not having met for so many years, and many of the younger ones I was meeting for the first time. Yes, it had been more than 2 decades since they last set foot in my house. However, at the end of the day, I realized that their visits were the highlight of Hari Raya for me this year. It was actually very nice meeting up with them again, to renew ties and to ask for forgiveness.
