And today the more mass exodus of people making their way back to kampung still holds .. Sep 2011
One of the most arresting pictures was one where people were clambering over one another to gain entry into a bus through its rear exit.
Though today many drive own vehicles be it, motorbikes, motorcars or 'belons' .. .. Sep 2011Similar scenes could be seen elsewhere in town, whether in railway stations, bus stops or taxi stands.
Today, while many leave the city to balik kampung, there is an increasing number who stay in town, because they have made the town their kampung as their parents and grandparents are here now.
To them, it is balik bandar instead, coming from out of town, or overseas, back to the city centre to visit family and friends.
Back then, cakes, kuih and all other dishes and delicacies were always home-made and the family -- men, women and children -- would all pitch in to help, whether to help stir the dodol, tend the fire of a makeshift oven, or to knead the dough.
Nowadays, difficult to make own or home-made as many had not learned to make own cookies and not forgetting the time, the money (expensive bahan-bahan lor ..) the skills and etc. .. Sep 2011
Nowadays, almost everything can, and is, bought off the shelf.
And just wait, 3 days after raya where the price will go down .. but one thing for sure kueh raya bought from the stalls banyak yang tak sodap dan biasanya terkoncing .. can say no quality lor ... Sep 2011
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| The post office in Jalan Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, in August 1979, received more than 800,000 Hari Raya greeting cards to be delivered for the festive season. |
 It was March 28, 1960, and the drizzle on the first day of Hari Raya did not prevent these four charming Malay girls from Kampong Baru from visiting friends and exchanging greetings. |
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| Clad in spanking new clothes for Hari Raya, these children were happy to be out and about in this July 27, 1978 photograph. |
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| The orderly queue that was eager to meet and greet Tun Hussein Onn and his family during his open house at Seri Taman on Sept 6, 1978. |
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| As the month of Ramadan drew to a close, the women folk, with their friends of all races, gathered to prepare ketupat for Hari Raya Aidilfitri in this photograph taken on June 18, 1988. |
In those days, no one had to make appointments when visiting the homes of neighbours and friends because every house would be an "open house" on the first two days of Hari Raya.
Ziarah menziarahi memang di tuntut tapi sukarnya adalah persediaan .. normally to ensure your attendance, many of us are tired after travelling and need rest, when we visit our relatives we will be served with 'heavy foods and drinks' thus manyak berat mau to the next place and thus in the like of KL city, if you can go 3-4 house a day then consider yourself great .. Sep 2011Today, people wait for the strike of midnight to send mass SMSes to friends and faraway family members, wishing them "Selamat Hari Raya" and seeking forgiveness for the past year's transgressions.
But in the old days, greeting cards and letters did the job, and weeks before the actual day, the post office would be inundated with sacks of them, all to be sorted out and sent on their way.
It is said that greetings thru SMS is faster, straight to the person, cheaper, interactive as the cost of a card raya now is at least RM1.20 plus postage at about RM0.50-RM0.60 compared to the SMS of maybe RM0.50/message. .. Sep 2011
And when the actual celebrations arrived, it was much more than just an eating and chatting affair -- berjoget (dancing) was also very much part of the festivities, which is almost unheard of these days.
Can we dance nowadays, nanti adalah keluag media, masyarakat melayu lupa diri, tidak menghormati agama dan perasaan, buat kena tak buat di tulis dalam lipatan sejarah .. .. Sep 2011So the best is, to know the meaning of 'menyambut aidilfitri'. To me, celebrating aidilfitri is to thank Allah swt for giving the chance to celebrate it, attend aidilfitri prayers, continue the likes of Ramadhan i.e fasting (no bad words, be nice and good, read Quran verses, less mengarut and etc.). Meeting family, relatives, friends are one of the best occasion. Best of all, be your good self, insyaallah. Wallahualam. .. Sep 2011
Source: The NST Home Local 2011/09/03
