The Raya Tour de Kampung Part II : The First Day

8/06/2014


I woke up early. So I got ready with make-up and everything before heading to the Eid prayer. Funny, when we arrived at two different mosques, we could hear the khutbah being given! Thinking we missed it, we headed to Jalan Damai and found that many people have just arrived. Saved!

But that wasn't the funny part. As we headed home after, feeling relieved and happy that we were able to go for the prayer, we found out that the surau right down the road from my in-laws house had just started given the khutbah when we arrived. This means that they started even later. Why did we have to go so far? Haha.

When we got back, we had breakfast and everyone got ready, including the two boys, Hazem and Basem. They wore matching baju Melayu with sampin and all! It was a long process to get the sampin just right for Basem.
@hazemtalha : Basem putting on a sampin for the first time. @nadhilaqran had to help him out to hilarious results. Looked good in the end tho #hariraya #sampinsaga#itsnotthatharddude
An important custom during Eid is to seek forgiveness from one another, especially from older members of the family. This custom is considered as a means of abandoning past animosity, and strengthening bonds between family members and friends. The Malay phrase maaf zahir batin is often heard during Hari Raya; it means “forgiveness from all physical and emotional wrongdoing”.

While some families, like mine, would go round hug and kiss every adult and get ka-ching (read: duit raya), other families, like the Husband's, have this session of an emotional run for seeking for forgiveness. A first for me.

Anyway, after that, we had some photo session before we headed off to my grandparents' place in Negeri Sembilan. That was an hour worth of a drive. The first hour of many.
When we arrived in Seremban, it was really touch and go. We said hello to everyone, got our ka-ching ka-ching, ate lunch and prayed. Then we headed for Johor. But, of course, we took some photos! Sad though, baby Dhia arrived just as we were about to leave. Which reminds me, I will be posting about my Ramadhan filled with Baby Dhia soon, if God wills it.
Danea, in her Elsa-inspired baju raya.
With my sister. We wore songket together with our mother.
The road to Johor was a congested one. It was about 3 and a half hours being in the car, crammed up with the Husband and Hazem and Basem. I slept the whole way. Hehe.

When we arrived in Johor, I headed straight for the Laksa Johor which I only get to taste once a year. Buying Laksa Johor is never the same as the ones my grandmother makes. It's so superb that even Hazem couldn't stop eating.

Alas, night fell and we decided to go out for a karaoke session among cousins. We waited for the OK from my cousin as he went round to find one that was open. While waiting, Saddiq came and liven things up with his weird Malay slang. He fit in well with Hazem and Basem. Actually, the Husband too. On one of our Raya visits to my relatives, my mum's auntie said, "His Malay is quite good!" He IS Malay. HAHA.
After saying "See you tomorrow!" to everyone, we headed for the singing session until about 3AM. After screaming our lungs out, we were pretty much exhausted. My first day of Raya has always been somewhat like this. Getting tired at the end of the day but waking up all fresh and early the next day.

How was your first day of Raya?
Love,
Sya.

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