This weekend is "Hari Raya", a three day festival on the Muslim calendar celebrated by Muslim communities around the world. Hari Raya is one of the most significant religious events for Muslims as it marks the end of the Ramadan, a month of fasting, worship and reflection.
Interestingly, I was first introduced to some of the practical aspects of Ramadan when I was working in the financial sector here in Singapore. We had scheduled some of our Malaysian colleagues to be in our Singapore premises smack in the middle of Ramadan and had to make the necessary arrangements such that those who were fasting and praying could do so, at the workplace, and with relative comfort and ease. Fasting during Ramadan calls for no eating (or drinking!!) from day-break to sun-set each day, so evening meals are hugely important. As such we had to ensure that evening meals we arranged for our colleagues were awesome Halal* feasts, fit for a king... in the (thinly veiled) hope that they didn't begrudge us too much for making them travel away from their families at such an important time!
Actually my hairdresser, who is Malay, was instrumental in helping me through. He even got me a great deal on prayer mats and slippers** from the store neighbouring his salon and all in all I felt like I understood the basic rhythms of Ramadan.... but this week I have been researching activities Miss May and I could undertake to mark the occasion and I have discovered much more!
I have found myself focusing on the symbols of Ramadan and Hari Raya and how children, who are Muslim, are celebrating at this time.
When Christian kids think of Christmas they conger up images of christmas trees, holly sprigs and presents. What symbols represent Hari Raya and Ramadan for Muslim kids? Here are some I discovered...
Moon and Stars... Luna phases are the basis for the Muslim Calendar so images of the crescent moon and a star studded night sky are probably the most common symbols of Ramadan.
Cannon... a cannon is fired at the official setting of the sun each day of the Ramadan to alert everyone that it is time to chow down. This seems to be more prevalent in Arab nations where people will apparently gather together with food to await the cannon's fire. I havent noticed any Cannon action here in Singapore or elsewhere in Asia, but perhaps the symbolism is still meaningful here? Not sure.
The Ramadan Drummer... traditionally a drummer would walk the streets each morning of Ramadan drumming loudly to wake everyone before the call to morning prayer so they could eat before sunrise and fasting. Again it seems that although still practiced in places like Turkey and Albania it has been replaced with iphones and alarm clocks here in Singapore.
The Ramadan Lantern... a little like Christmas carolling, kids during Raamdan in some parts of the world will carry colourful lanterns and sing traditional songs. In reward they are given food and sweets.
Dates... (the ones you eat)... my hairdresser was telling me about this one. It is said that one should not break fast with heavy food and so many attest to the benefits of eating dates and drinking juice to be gentler on the stomach. Indeed at our local super market at this time of year there are dates from all over the world on offer, though often extremely expensive!
Mosque.. probably the most recognisable symbology for someone like me (on the outside looking in). Mosques are often depicted as black silhouetted buildings with a rising (or setting) sun in the background.
FOOD... here in Singapore most roads lead to a feast of some kind. Singaporeans love their food, its a national obsession and for the Muslim community Ramandan is an opportunity to really enjoy traditional malay foods. Street stalls with all kinds of delicious hawker delights are set up around the mosques and people meander around and choose to their liking... it's all about food in the end!
A good friends who is Muslim said that Raamdan as a kid was a really special and bonding time for his family. I can imagine that after a day of fasting, when a family come together around the table to share the evening meal that they must all be particularly grateful for the delicious meal that they share together.
Salemat Hari Raya everyone!
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