I have always thought of Eid as depressing. Before flying, when I was in the States, and in anticipation of tomorrow, to me it is just a holiday. Well yes, I go for my Eid prayers, and I go to my relatives for the signature nasi minyak, lontong and laksa, and then go back home to sleep the stomach surprise off.

And that’s it. That’s raya. You catch up with your long lost family, which in my enormous family’s case, probably once or twice a year, and then we sail away to our own family and group of friends, until we meet again the next year. Same old same old.

I keep on thinking, there must surely be something more to it shouldn’t it? I mean, you sustain yourself from worldly pleasures for a month and you just throw it all away in a day?

Maybe Eid is about celebrating victory of your accomplishments during ramadhan. You sustained yourself from what you thought to be essential in living but it’s actually not, educating yourself to be humble and thankful and to be a better person after.

It can also be about asking forgiveness to each other and wish each other well for the year to come and touch back to all the lost contacts and strengthen the family ties that you would have no time to do during other periods of the year.

Or it could also be the superficial eating, angpow, and gossiping galore that is I think the prevalent trend of Eid. Maybe Raya has now become a celebration for kids, for them to be happy and for adults to pretend happy.

Well I don’t know. And probably, I would only continue this thought next year, on the eve of Eid. For now, like years before, I would go into my depressing mode that Ramadhan is coming to an end instead of waiting for tomorrow. Maybe this raya I would thrive and really enjoy the experience.

For those of you who are genuinely happy and excited for Raya nevertheless, I won’t take anything from you and I wish you well!

Selamat Hari Raya, maaf zahir batin!