“Talk About Miles, and We Are Far Apart. But Think About My Thrumphing Heart and We Are Closer Than Ever Before!”. Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2022! Malaysia is a country of diversity and every year, after the fasting month of Ramadan, Muslims around Malaysia gather for this festive season. Hari Raya this year though, is truly a special one. This festive season is a celebration in which bonds with family as well as friends are strengthened and it’s a celebration where people ask for forgiveness from others. Hari Raya is the celebration of togetherness aimed to commemorate the victory of Muslims in completing their month- long fast.
Firstly, let’s go back in time to a year filled with uncertainty and isolation - 2020. As lockdowns began to grow tighter overtime with the number of cases skyrocketing, many celebrations like Hari Raya died down amongst the uncertainty and fear the pandemic struck into our lives. These once festive celebrations no longer carried their sacred festivity; rather, they were toned down as the world turned upside down, forcing it to turn its attention to the pandemic. In this new normal that the pandemic created, humans were forced to adapt in order to maintain their safety. Now, Hari Raya, just like many other celebrations, could no longer be celebrated with family and friends. We were all trapped at home, trying our best to fight through these trying times.
Many festive events such as open houses and fireworks were restricted all over Malaysia and unfortunately the worst was yet to come. On the 1st of May 2020 at precisely 3:06 PM, the Prime Minister of Malaysia announced that it was officially against the law, due to the MCO and SOP to go back to your hometown during Hari Raya.
Dhia (7Y), one of the many Muslim students in Tenby quoted “Since the start of the pandemic, around two and a half years ago, many people could not return to their hometowns to celebrate Raya with their loved ones.” This pandemic really did turn these festive seasons upside down, taking away the reasons they are celebrated.
Let's fast forward to 2021; the believed year of hope, a fresh start and the beginning of a new decade. This is the image that 2021 created in the minds of many people around the world. Little did they know that the easing of the SOPs at the start of the year was nothing but false hope. This highly anticipated year that made people hopeful for the coming months was nothing but a letdown as nothing much changed, and the number of Covid 19 cases continued to get worse in Malaysia. Hari Raya, just like in 2020, was not celebrated to its fullest festivity. It was a victim of the pandemic, just like many other celebrations.
Finally, we reach the present… 2022, a year unlike any other. Us Malaysians have adapted to this new normal with new principles and practices that, if sustained could help our world recover. But then why is Hari Raya this year special? Well, it’s because of the very reason it's celebrated. After two and a half years of fighting, changing, and adapting, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced on April 16th at precisely 3:18 PM that we will be allowed to ‘Balik Kampung’ and host open houses this year.
With so little time left to prepare for Raya, Muslims around Malaysia have begun their preparations to make Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year a special one. The smell of delicious food like Rendang and Ketupat filled the air; houses were decorated in bright shades of yellow and green, large crowds of people gathered around open houses as conversations filled the air; and the streets were filled with colossal jams. Although the jams and blocked roads provided quite a frustrating obstacle, Muslims around Malaysia still pressed on towards their hometown for hours, determined to see their families. Thankfully, due to the decrease in COVID-19 cases, the Malaysian government has loosened the SOP’s regulations and has allowed us to Balik Kampung and celebrate Hari Raya with our family again. After two years of celebrating Raya at home all by ourselves, we felt joy and excitement once again. quoted Dhia (7Y). Hari Raya this year is special because the spirit of festivity is no longer diminished or mellowed down. Open houses, which encourage togetherness amongst us, fireworks that light up the sky and the connections that are made by families have reawakened the spirit of joy and prosperity of Hari Raya.
Quoting Ellery Z (7T): "This year, Hari Raya is even more special than it has ever been. After two years of isolation, Muslims are finally back and happier than ever as they are finally able to celebrate this wondrous occasion with friends and family again. It matters more as we can’t take for granted what we have now, togetherness. With our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters, we can enjoy these festivities and continue our decades-long traditions, started by our ancestors themselves. With the pandemic entering its "endemic" phase, we have learnt how to come to terms with it and adapt to it. Therefore, overall, this makes this Hari Raya more special than it has ever been. " Hari Raya will once again be celebrated to its fullest with festivity. That is why Hari Raya this year is like no other! Selamat Hari Raya to all those who are celebrating, and I hope that your Hari Raya this year is a special one!!!
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