MALAY TRADITIONS

 Malay is an Austronesian language that is an official language of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, and that is also spoken in East Timor and parts of the Philippines and Thailand. Altogether, it is spoken by 290 million people across Maritime Southeast Asia.

 

Islam, Malaysia's official religion, is followed by about three-fifths of the population. Islam is one of the most important factors distinguishing a Malay from a non-Malay, and, by law, all Malays are Muslim.Malay cuisine is the cuisine of the Malays from Malaysia , Singapore , Indonesia and Brunei which used to be part of the Malay World . Examples of Malay cuisine, in Terengganu and Kelantan are famous for Nasi dagang , Nasi kerabu and Keropok lekor 

Ketupat is a traditional food that is very popular on Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Hari Raya Aidiladha. Ketupat is a main menu when it comes to this festival and has its own uniqueness. There are two types of ketupat - palas leaf ketupat and rice ketupat (coconut leaf). Both of these ketupats require expertise in weaving coconut leaves or wrapping and knotting palas leaves. The woven ketupat casing requires expertise to prevent the ketupat from falling apart during cooking . The uniqueness of this ketupat is its fragrance and deliciousness when wrapped using young coconut leaves or palas leaves.

After a month of fasting, Muslims aroud the world celebrate the end of Ramadhan and the beginning of Syawal, the 10th month of Islamic calendar. It is a time of forgiveness and blessings for friends and family. The celebration is determined by the sighting of the moon, now done universally and more scientifically. Hence, there is less anxiety and uncertainty. During this public holiday the ‘balik kampung’ phenomena is always anticipated to cloak up highways from the cities to the rural outskirts as folks head back to their hometowns to celebrate this auspicious occasion with their families. Morning communal prayers, gaiety ‘open houses’ and of course lots of scrumptious traditional Malay food are highlights as everyone look forward during this month-long Hari Raya celebration