Fabmom's Raya

This year's 1st Raya we gathered at my place. Every year the venue is rotated between our homes.

At 10 am everyone started coming. From Inanam, from Likas, from Penampang. That’s the best moment, the excitement, seeing your brothers and sisters arriving one by one with their broods, all gleaming happy with the outfit to match.

After bersalam-salaman and complementing each others new dress, we proceeded to the food with gusto. Feast time! After a month’s fasting, this is the time. Everyone brought something. All the Raya staples, rendang , kurma, kuah kacang, nasi himpit, paceri nanas, sayur lodeh, sate.

After satisfying our buds, we followed with sesi bergambar. With defined categories. First, all sisters. Then brothers. Then sisters and sis-in-laws. Then brothers and brother-in-laws. Then sisters and brothers together. Then nephews. Then nieces. Then each one of us with spouse and kids. Then everyone, the whole house.

That took about 1 hour, after which, all felt the need to return to the dining table. (erm..cepatnya lapar balik..).
Then it was time to give ang pow to each others’ kids. Between us, we have 19 children.

Finally, after the last drink we drove off together to our hometown in Papar.
The first place is always, my dad’s sister which is also the meeting point of the other aunts and uncles. And then, to dad’s brother's house in another kampung. This uncle had passed away and we are visiting his widow who is nevertheless dear to us. Lastly, visiting the cemetery before heading back home.

We got back to KK after 4pm and made a stop at my eldest brother’s house in Petagas. He missed the gathering at my place earlier as he was off to Papar early morning. Anyway, we stayed till maghrib there, scouring their tasty Raya cookies. By this time, everyone started feeling hungry again. So , knowing there were still plenty of food at my house , all returned to my place again for the final supper, eventually leaving after 9 pm.

So much for the month-long 'dieting'. Diet ka juga? Everyone's waistline seemed to expand by nightfall. Baru hari pertama! There's puasa enam, my hubby suggested. Yeah..right.

On the second day, everyone off to their spouse’s hometown to continue Raya. For me, it's Labuan. We arrived Thursday afternoon and stayed till Sunday. We’ve only been arrived 1 hour before it was time to get changed and start be'raya'. A little insight into Labuan's Hari Raya - the amalan kunjung-mengunjung dan beraya there is serious business. We visited like 6 houses in a day before getting back home before maghrib (and that's calling it mild, I once counted 10!). And people come to the house endlessly, from 10 am to 10 pm. If we wanna go out beraya, we had better get dressed quickly and go out straight away. Often the plan is halted by people coming just when we are closing the door. Some 40 minutes delay and sometime we are not lucky we didn’t get to leave until after hours by which time it was too late or started raining or things like that. Way back when my kids were still small that used to irritate me. You know it disrupt their nap times, feed times etc and they don't want to be near anyone except mummy. Well those were the days. Nowadays, my kids don't join us beraya anymore. No thank you. They'd be happiest left behind with their cousins, crowding the playroom and burned the playstation games, PS2, whatnot all day long.

Back here in KK, it is open house invitations fiesta. Yesterday there were 2 invitations. Today, 4.

Hopes to do puasa enam seemed..erm..dashed?











Selamat Hari Raya all !!!!!