children in the 50's looking resplendent in their raya clothesThe signs are obvious aren't they? Barely two weeks of ramadhan we are hearing raya songs blasting from the shopping malls and radio stations for as longest as I can remember. Hordes of raya entertainment programmes are lining up on the cable and free tv channels filled to the brim with raya song of yesteryears. And not forgetting those raya-theme dramas with the usual wearisome storylines that I can predict the endings with my eyes closed. Between these, you can bet one or two Hindi films making their profound presence on the first week of raya. I mean hey, its hari raya for goodness sake and they're showing Bollywood movies?
I remember vividly about four years ago when the whole bunch of us (including the in-laws) balik kampung on first raya to visit close relatives and right smack in their living room, Khabi Khushi Khabie Gham was shown on the tube and needless to say people in the house were glued to it oblivious to their surroundings. Oh well, who can really blame them when Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol were the main attraction. As they say, if you can't beat them join them.
Of course hari raya isn't complete without the must haves mouth-watering dishes such as rendang, ketupat, lemang and raya cookies. Raya cookies either home-made or store-bought they are truly a sight to behold. Its really sad that not many households today have traditional cookies to offer during raya. Gone are the days when the likes of batang buruk, putu kacang, samperit, kuih ros (some people call it kuih loyang), kuih bakar, kuih makmur and bahulu adorn the cookie jars. They had been replaced with pineapple jam tart, almond london, cornflakes and so many other cookies with contemporary names.
And last but not least, duit raya is a must nowadays. And should be given in green angpows. It used to be 10 or 20 cents in good old days but if you give that kind of amount today you might get a surprise look on the childrens' face. How times have changed indeed.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my blogger friends Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri and maaf zahir batin from the bottom of my heart.
Have a safe trip back home and come back in one piece!
