Salam Aidilfitri, Malaysia! We hope your first few weeks of Hari Raya were amazing, albeit in a hectic way because the day itself came earlier than expected. ? But amidst all the chaos that came with last-minute planning and preparations for this year’s Hari Raya, Malaysians are prone to forgetting about how Hari Raya festivities for the past two years have been halted as part of the Movement Control Order (MCO) to curb Covid-19 cases.
So in order to remind ourselves of the things we have taken for granted, here are some of the greatly missed Hari Raya traditions Malaysians are finally able to enjoy again after two years of the MCO!
1. ? Balik kampung! Oooooooo balik kampung! ?
You read that in Sudirman’s voice, didn’t you? ? Because of course, the most anticipated part of every Hari Raya is returning to our hometowns and reconnecting with our relatives! And after spending two years not being able to balik kampung, this year’s Aidilfitri celebration is extra special for the “perantau” as pandemic restrictions are slowly being lifted and they can finally reunite with their loved ones.
To add to that, another largely unspoken aspect of balik kampung that everyone looks forward to is the journey! Because you know what they always say, the journey is just as important as the destination. As much as everyone dreads being stuck in a jam, this time around Malaysians might actually appreciate this balik kampung jam as it signifies a journey to their dearly missed hometown!
2. ? Duit raya? Don’t mind if I do! ?
And who could forget the second most important part of Aidilfitri: getting duit raya! After all, what is Hari Raya without duit raya, am I right? ? For many Malaysians, giving and receiving money during festivities is a great way to strengthen relationships between friends and family members. Thus, Malaysians are looking forward to getting and giving duit raya in a sampul again after pretty much going the cashless route for the past two years!
Not to mention, the act of distributing money to others such as through duit raya can be considered an act of charity especially if the recipient is from the needy. Considering that this is our chance to be charitable to others who have been financially impacted by the pandemic, this can be a two-in-one act of generosity!
3. ?️ Open houses galore for Malaysians to datang beraya! ?️
Now that restrictions are becoming more relaxed, this means that Raya open houses are in season again! And what’s not to love about open houses? We can finally get together with our friends and family members after not seeing them for most of the year, prepare and eat delicious Raya food, and if we’re lucky, we might get some of the aforementioned duit raya from hosts/visitors! Cha-ching! ?
And after two years of spending Hari Raya with social distancing measures in place, the joy of hosting and visiting open houses for the festive season is renewed as friends and relatives get to see each other in person again! All that being said though, get ready for all the awkward questions from the pak ciks and mak ciks (eg: Are you still studying? What are you working as now? When are you getting married? ?).
4. ? Can finally do the once-in-a-year Aidilfitri prayer in the mosque again! ?
As we’ve seen on the first day of Hari Raya this year, mosques and musollas nationwide have been filled to the brim with Malaysians hoping to fulfil the annual Aidilfitri prayer in the mosque. We suppose that even the earlier-than-expected announcement of Hari Raya could not beat the tenacity of Malaysians wanting to fulfil their Aidilfitri prayers in the mosque. ?
The yearly prayer this time around is just THAT special for Malaysians after two years of being subject to congregational worship restrictions which are finally lifted this year. Some worshippers have even braved the rain to go to their local mosques on foot and prayed under the scorching sun outside the mosque when there is no space to pray indoors! Come rain or shine, (literally!) nothing can get in the way of Malaysians wanting a full-fledged celebration of Hari Raya. ?
5. ? Come night-time, let’s brighten things up with bunga api! ?
As most Malaysians know, even after the sun goes down, the Aidilfitri celebrations don’t end there! As long as the night is still young, there’s always time to liven up festivities with a bunga api display! No Hari Raya celebration is complete without the youngsters of the house playing with fireworks whose brightness and loudness are analogous to the joy brought about by the festive season.
Playing with bunga api is a fun activity practised by many Malaysians during Hari Raya season, as it showcases the spirit of the festivity in addition to spending quality time with loved ones. And this year, now that Malaysians can come together again, what better way to spend time with dearly missed relatives than by making memories filled with bright lights and thunderous noise?
Now that’s what we call Hari Raya!
With Hari Raya festivities returning to some semblance of normalcy after two years of celebrating in moderation, we implore everyone to celebrate Aidilfitri this year with great joy and happiness as we return to our loved ones and experience the full, good old-fashioned excitement that has become synonymous with Hari Raya.
And to REALLY help you get into the Raya Mode, UEM Sunrise wants to take part in your celebrations with their “Ini Baru Raya” campaign by revitalising the joy of getting together and appreciating the time that we have with loved ones, family, and friends during this festive season!
This festive season, let UEM Sunrise help you Find your Happy as you return to your loved ones and experience a joyful Raya once again. Ini Baru Raya!
“But what does Ini Baru Raya hold in store for us?”, you may ask. Well, read on dear reader, because here are the awesome activities and benefits UEM Sunrise has all packed and ready to go for you this Raya!:
A. Go on a top-secret mission with the ‘Aidilfitri 2022’ Watch & Win contest!
To truly kick things off, UEM Sunrise is presenting a special action-packed and espionage-themed Raya video about a national top-secret agent on a covert mission to save “happiness”. And to top it all off, they have a Watch & Win contest on social media to go with the video! Here’s how you can take part:
- Follow and like UEM Sunrise’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
- Watch the Secret Agent video and answer these questions in the comment section:
- How many Smileys can you spot in the video?
- Which CHIEF values did Aidil demonstrate in the video?
- Tag 3 friends in your answer. Trésorians will also need to add the hashtag #TresorCommunity to their answer.
30 correct and most creative answers will be selected to win RM50 Touch n’ Go eWallet Reload! In addition, 15 UEM Sunrise Trèsor members can get even luckier by winning RM100 Touch n’ Go eWallet Reload if they choose to participate!
B. Be your own secret agent with the Secret Agent Instagram Randomiser!
Want to delve in deeper into the secret agent theme for this campaign? Social media users can get on Instagram and try out UEM Sunrise’s awesome Secret Agent Instagram Randomiser! Wanna unveil your inner secret agent that you were born to play as? Or would you fancy being a crooked villain concocting a plan to take down the agent? Find out now with the randomiser courtesy of UEM Sunrise!
C. Don’t miss out on their Raya Secret Homeownership Deals!
Aspiring homeowners rejoice! For this campaign comes with a bundle of attractive homeownership benefits such as:
- Free MOT stamp duty
- Free legal fees
- Rebates
- ‘Spin & Win’ prizes, and many more!
These deals are exclusive for UEM Sunrise homebuyers after booking and signing the Sales & Purchase Agreement before 22 June 2022, so sign up now before it’s too late! Explore the participating properties now!
D. Save the tigers by playing the ‘Send Happy Tiger Home Safely’ Game!
As part of UEM Sunrise’s initiative to contribute to tiger conservation efforts, they are hosting an online game to ‘Send Happy Tiger Home Safely’! In this game, the Happy Tiger needs your help to ‘balik raya’ in one piece, safe from the sabres and traps and poachers. All you need to do is answer the game’s questions correctly so that the snares and traps along the Happy Tiger’s trail will disappear.
In addition to having fun with the game, RM100 will go to the Happy Tiger Bank with each completed game to help with efforts to achieve the RM22,200 pledged to the Malayan Tigers conservation programme. So in addition to playing this really cool game, you will also take part in a good cause! Oh, and did we mention that players stand a chance to win a Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 camera?
So, what are you waiting for? Go Find your Happy with UEM Sunrise through their assortment of Secret Deals, rewards, giveaways, fun effects and games to play! Psyched up to celebrate Raya with UEM Sunrise? Well, we’re sure you are, because Ini Baru Raya!
Visit UEM Sunrise’s website for more info about the campaign.
