Today, after many monthc of resting, I open my writings on "My Family" In there is my description of Hari Raya "Hari Raya in Pekan was a very joyful occasion. Tok Yang Cik always sew our Hari Raya ensembles two dresses for her and five suits of baju Melayu for the boys. When it was “tujuh likur” – three days before raya – they started playing with sparklers." "What really lighted up “tujuh likur” was the three days of lamps extravaganza. The families seemed to try to outdo each other displaying the pyramids of kerosene lamps. They walked from kampong to kampong enjoying the different designs, one more elaborate than the other. The whole town was bathed in the glow of the home-made lights." "Then there was the uncertainty of the hari raya day itself. In those days the hari raya was not fixed as it is now. They had to wait for the announcement if the new Shawal was sighted. In Pekan the announcement was made by the firing of the cannon." "The hari raya fares were typical – ketupat, lemang and rendang. Tok always prepared sambal kelapa for the ketupat. Every year we had to learn how to weave the young coconut leaves for the ketupat. Another must for the raya fare was laksa." "In Pekan there was a specialist laksa maker. she made laksa for the neighbourhood. We used to go and watch the laborious procedure of mixing the flour, kneading, boiling the balls of dough, pounding to soften it and finally pressing it through a laksa maker, called “gebok” into a large pot of boiling water. Then the long strings of spaghetti-like laksa were coiled into whorls and arranged on a bed of ferns on a bamboo tray. Then there was the laksa sauce. I think it is a secret family recipe. Any Pahang born and bred would insist the Pahang laksa was unique to Pahang." "On the morning of Hari Raya we would be awakened by Tokki’s “Selawat” (praise to Allah and the prophet Muhammad). He had a pleasing melodic voice which she missed. I wish I could hear once again his Azan (call to prayer) or “dikir” (rendations in Arabic) during weddings." "The women would be busy putting out the hari raya feast. The young would be getting ready to put on their raya clothes. Tokki Nik also would be putting his getups. After his pilgrimage to Mecca, Tokki Nik always donned his Arabic black robe over his white “jubah” (full length shirt). On his head would be the large Arabian scarve kept in place by a headdress. When all were ready he and the boys would walk to the mosque in Pekan town for the special Hari Raya prayer." "When they got home the feast would be on the table. Before eating there would be the salam and kissing the elders’ hands to ask for forgiveness and blessings. These have not changed. What has changed is the emphasis on the cash given in little envelopes a new practice borrowed from the Chinese. It may have started as an incentive to encourage the young ones to fast, but she think it has got out hands nowadays. Now the open house visits to relatives and friends have turned into a mission to collect as much cash as possible cash."
Posted on: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 08:17:08 +0000