Group work

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Hari Raya & Christmas

Hari Raya .....

Hari Raya Puasa is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. It is celebrated starting on the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal. Shopping malls and bazaars are filled with people days ahead of Hari Raya, causing a distinctive festive atmosphere . Special dishes like ketupat, dodol, lemang (a type of glutinous rice cake cooked in bamboo) and other Malay delicacies are served during this day. It is common to greet people with "Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri" which means "Happy Eid". Muslims also greet one another with "maaf zahir dan batin" which means "Forgive my physical and emotional (wrongdoings)", because Hari Raya Puasa is not only for celebrations but also the time for Muslims to cleanse their sins and strengthen their ties with relatives and friends. It is customary for Malays to wear traditional cultural outfits on the day. The outfit for men is called baju kurung which is worn together with kain samping and a songkok which is a dark coloured headgear.The women wear what is known as baju kebaya. During the day, men go and have their Eid prayers in the mosque. Once the prayer is completed, it is also common for Muslims to visit the graves of loved ones. During this visit, they clean the grave, recite Ya-Seen, a chapter (surah) from the Qur'an and also perform the tahlil ceremony. All these are done to ask for God to forgive the dead and also those who are living. The rest of the day is spent visiting relatives or serving visitors. Hari Raya Puasa is a very joyous day for children for on this day, adults are especially generous. Children will be given token sums of money, also known as "duit raya," from their parents or elders. They will also celebrate it with delicious Malay delicacies. And that is how Muslims celebrate Hari Raya Puasa.

Christmas..

Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, usually celebrated by Christians. It is also a 12 day festival, continuing till the epiphany on the 6th January. It is a festival where people exchange gifts with one another and share joys and laughter.

The whole of the Orchard Road Shopping Street will be wonderfully adorned with countless colourful lights and beautiful decorations from the middle of the November up till the New Year. Other shopping centres will become busier as December approaches and often stay open till late. Shopping centre speaker systems will play Christmas 'carols' - the traditional Christmas Christian songs, and groups of people will often sing carols on the streets to raise money for charity. Most places of work will hold a short Christmas party about a week before Christmas. Although traditional Christmas foods may be eaten, drink means that little work will be done after the party! A wide range of activities, including concerts, internationally acclaimed performances; art exhibitions, attractive shopping promotions and culinary treats also take place.

By mid-December, most homes will also be decorated with Christmas trees, coloured lights and paper or plastic decorations around the rooms. These days, many more people also decorate garden trees or house walls with coloured electric lights. And on Christmas day itself, many presents will be placed under the tree. It’ll be a time where the exchanging of gift starts. Children will tend to look forward to this festive season than adults as they will receive all sorts of presents and enjoy eating turkeys and ham.
In many countries, most people post Christmas greeting cards to their friends and family, and these cards will be hung on the walls of their homes.

Ardilla: From my point of view ,I find that Christmas and Hari Raya are quite similar . During both of the events , we exchange gift and green packets . Both of the them , are indeed a joyous event and it gives us a chance to strengthen our family relationship . I look forward for this festive season evey year not only because of the packets given out but also the chance to spend our time together . Therefore , I find that both of the events are important and it should be cherish . That’s how I feel about both of the events.

Jasmine: I think that Hari raya is a festival that is similar to Christmas as during Hari Raya, sums of moneys in a green packet (duit raya) will be given out, and during Christmas, presents are given out. Christmas is indeed a very recognised festival as weeks before it; places like orchard road will be nicely decorated with all the lightings which bring out the mood of Christmas. The clothing worn by the Malays during Hari Raya are mostly custom made therefore each of it is unique. Thus, both festivals are enjoyable as it bonds ones family closer together, we’ll also get a chance to meet up with relatives that we do not see that often.

Qistina: I think both Hari Raya Puasa and Christmas are joyous holidays that provide its followers the opportunity to strengthen their beliefs as well as enjoy the occasion with family and friends. I myself look forward to these occasions every year as it gives me the chance to catch up with my fellow relatives that I rarely see. Pus,we can show off our new clothes too.The occasion gives me a greater sense of belonging and bonds me closer to them. That's how I truly feel about these occasions.