Hari Raya Aidilfitri is usually celebrated by Muslims all around the world. It it somehow a kind of reward after having to fast for one month. When we speak about Hari Raya, it usually means new clothings, various snacks and collecting money!

For my family, a few weeks or even a month before Hari Raya, we will each find the fabrics we need for our Baju Kurungs. We don't send them to the tailors because we have one ourself, my Mom! For the snacks my Mom will prepare the ingredients and will start baking them the day before Hari Raya. Now that me and my sister are old and independent enough, we will usually bake them ourselves while my Mom focus on the main foods such as the rendang, ketupat and many more. The night before the big day will always be the busiest night for my family. That's because my family always prepare at the very last minute. So the house will be so chaotic, with baking, cleaning up, my Dad repainting the walls and my Mom busy cooking. Though it's that busy, I find it a good way to bond with my family even more.

Though, most of the times, my family will be off to Johore, Malaysia to my Grandmother's house the night before Hari Raya. That's what we usually do every year since my family is much more closer to the relatives there. I always look forward to visiting my relatives there because I don't get to see them that often, maybe 3 every 3-4 months. Every part of the family will be there, at my Grandmother's kampong house for a reunion and to decorate the house or just to chit chat.

The most exciting part would obviously be the morning of Hari Raya. On this day, most of us will be up early especially the men as they would need to attend an important prayer at the mosque. While the men are at the mosque, the ladies will be at home busy preparing to look their best and will be preparing the foods for the family to eat after the men reaches home. When everyone has gathered at the house, my family members will be busy going round asking for forgiveness from each other. These moments are usually very emotional especially for the adults. After all that, it would be time to dig in to the delicious foods prepared !

During the early afternoon, more relatives from different places will start to crowd the house. Soon after, my family would have been heading to some of our other relatives houses all over Johore. The children and teenagers will usually gather round together to tell jokes or just do what kids do. For me, I think the most wonderful experience I always get to experience every year during Hari Raya is to go house visiting with my cousins. Which means, no adults. That will be around a dozen of us. What we basically do is go visiting all the houses in our kampong area till late night. Eventhough, we don't really know them, they would know who our parents were.

To me, Hari Raya is one of the ways where my family and my relatives can bond even more together. Especially when we don't get to meet each other that much every year. It also helps to straighten our relationship as a family better. I find it quite important as I have an enormous family. Hari Raya not only helps to strengthen our bonds but it teaches me that family is always the first priority in life. Families celebrating Hari Raya, Chinese New Year or any celebrations should take that opportunity to spend time with their families instead if friends. Hari Raya also helped me to discover the relatives i've never known or met before.