How to Celebrate Hari Raya Safely at Home

Like last year, Hari Raya in 2021 will continue to look different from our traditional celebrations as we continue to observe varying movement control order (MCO) levels in various parts of the country. JobStreet has put together a guide to help you mark this festive occasion while observing safety and health measures at home with your loved ones.

What is Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2021?

The fasting period ends when the new moon is seen on the last day of Ramadan. The morning after the sighting of the crescent moon marks the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri (or Hari Raya Puasa). The holiday is a time of homecoming, gratitude, forgiveness, and spending time with family and relatives.

During Hari Raya, children ask forgiveness from their parents, men offer prayers at the mosque, elders give little ones duit raya or green packets, while households prepare for different days of feasting with friends and neighbours. With the continuing MCO protocols, however, we will have to modify certain traditions; but, that doesn’t mean this year’s Hari Raya will be any less meaningful. Here are tips on how you can indulge in festivities while staying safe.

How to safely celebrate Hari Raya Aidfiltri at home

1. Plan in advance.

Whether your state is in MCO, RMCO, or CMCO, it is important to make your Hari Raya Aidfiltri plans in advance. This includes providing your leave notice in advance. As offices continue to employ limited staff in the office and work-from-home arrangements, arranging leave requirements may be difficult for your HR department during these times. Ensure that there will be no disagreements with your employers by plotting your Hari Raya plans and filing your leave ahead of time.

2. Do some DIY Raya decorating.

Balik kampung or visiting other homes may not be possible this year; still, this does not mean you can’t do your own celebration indoors. Make your home more festive by doing some DIY decorations! If you have children at home, this is a wonderful activity to do together. It lets them unleash their creative side! Hang some paper ketupat around your living room. Light up your space in different colours. Dress up your table in glowing green.

3. Plan a Zoom get-together with your family members.

Instead of gathering with your relatives physically, you can plan a video conference call with your family members. To avoid awkward silences, you can even plan a programme in advance. Decide on a theme (such as asking everyone to wear green); plan virtual games and segments that everyone can participate in. You can ask each participant to prepare a short message to share with everyone on lessons learned during Ramadan.

4. Cook your favourite Raya dishes –– and send them to your friends and relatives.

As Hari Raya marks the end of month-long fasting, one of the traditions we look forward to the most are the days of delicious dishes and feasting in people’s homes. You can still practise this with a twist: cook your favourite Raya dishes or kuih Raya recipes and then send them as Raya gifts or kits to your friends and relatives!

You can even assign other relatives to prepare other meals and treats so you can exchange food and share with one another.

5. Perform prayers at home.

Even if you cannot make it to the mosque this year, you can still give thanks and reflect even in your home. Watch out for social media pages that may do a livestream of the Hari Raya sermon; other stations may broadcast this on TV or on the radio.

Spending Hari Raya at home does not have to be a bore. Mark its significance and make merry memories with your loved ones safely. Also, remember to coordinate with your employer before going on holiday to keep smooth working ties in the #JobsThatMatter. For more expert career advice, visit Career Resources. Selamat Hari Raya Aidfiltri!

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