by Anishametra Saravanan 

Ramadan and Hari Raya have held a special place in my heart from a young age, despite not observing them myself. These auspicious two months in the year meant a lot of nostalgic moments growing up, such as travelling back to my grandparents’ place, visiting their neighbors’ houses all along their street, and eating all the food and cookies my tiny tummy could handle, while clutching on to the tiny envelopes of cash they would graciously handout to all the children in their warm welcoming homes. As we celebrate Eid this year, it was my pleasure to speak to two wonderful (and might I add, bashful) individuals who shared what it means to fast for the month of Ramadan and what it’s like to celebrate Raya in their homes. 

“I’ve just arrived back in my hometown and thank goodness; traffic was smooth sailing!”  

Azima was gracious to take my call as she arrived in her hometown of Kuala Kedah on a Wednesday afternoon. As we spoke over the phone, we bonded over our shared hometown and reminisced about how festive seasons usually meant insane traffic jams heading up North. When asked about how Ramadan was for her, she mentioned that the fasting month marked a time for her to reflect on her personal journey, using her five senses to aid her in her mindfulness practice. “It’s all about setting good intentions in your actions and carrying them out to your best abilities.” 

She shared a wonderful anecdote of the time she learned all about Ramadan, “I was taught about fasting at the age of 5 and although I was meant to do a half-day trial run, I decided to fast for a full day. My little sister joined me as well and since we were not going to eat during our break, our teacher gave us the freedom to play in the playground as we waited for the others to be done with their break. Little did we know, we had started a mini movement within our kindergarten as the other children were eager to fast too!”  

This festive season also marks the return of many classic Malay delicacies and for Azima, celebrating Raya up North means having food staples such as beef rendang, kuah kacang (peanut sauce) and serunding (meat floss) on the ready to accompany the star food of the big day – ketupat palas. “Ketupat palas is a ‘must’ in our household! It’s also an annual tradition for my family to make our own cookies.”  

Besides the excitement of travelling back home and all the yummy food to look forward to, Azima emphasised that the festive season always comes down to connecting with her loved ones. “Even though I work in KL, I’m still involved in our Raya prep!” Azima joked. “We’ve continued the family tradition of each receiving 2 new Raya outfits and a new pair of shoes to match. Thanks to modern technology, my siblings can take me along on their shopping adventures through video calls, even though I’m more than 400 km away,” Azima added.  

“Above all, I believe the essence of Raya is family,” said Azima. “As I get older, I cherish every moment spent with them. It’s always fun to celebrate this wonderful season with my immediate and extended families, as well as my colleagues.” Here’s a closer look at Azima’s Raya festivities at home and her FrogAsia family: 

“Ramadan is always a good month for me to focus on my spiritual journey. We’re so caught up in our day-to-day routines that we often forget to slow down, look inward and nourish the most important aspects of our lives: our minds and spirits.” 

Ikma reflected on the month of fasting with fondness as it meant more moments spent with her loved ones. “Ramadan allowed me to spend more time with my family at home. On a usual day, it takes me a good amount of time to travel from my office in Sentul to my home in Nilai. However, there’s less traffic whenever I leave during the fasting month,” Ikma explained. 

She also mentioned that a sense of togetherness is often evident in the office during the fasting month as the team breaks their fast or ‘berbuka‘ together during their night shifts. Their breaking fast routine involves a volunteer from their team who is sent out as the food messenger, responsible for taking everyone’s orders for the day and buying their preferred food for the night. 

“Once it’s time to break our fast, everyone gathers around, and we enjoy our meals and each other’s company. However, due to limited time in our breaks, we ensure to stick to the time allotted as we also have our maghrib prayers to attend to. Even in these short breaks spent together, I’m always grateful to see the team’s spirit of comradery every time a festive season rolls around,” said Ikma.  

For Ikma, Raya mostly revolves around a fixed routine of cooking preparations and entertaining of guests, but this year was slightly different. “My younger brother and I were not feeling well towards the end of Ramadan and for the first two days of Raya, we were stuck at home with fever and cough.” 

Thankfully, she was feeling much better by the third day as her relatives made their way to her home to celebrate the joyous occasion. Having come from a small family, Ikma looks forward to seeing all her cousins as well as her extended family. “It’s the best time to play catch up! It’s also when I get to hear any juicy gossip or drama that I may have missed out on,” Ikma added cheekily.  

Apart from home festivities, she also looks forward to her team’s Raya celebration which is usually held internally. Check out the gallery below on how Raya is celebrated: Ikma-style!