Whether red, green or gold, it is what’s in the duit raya (eid gift money) packets that count for the enterprising young children who will be ringing the door bell this festive season.
THE door bell never fails to ring at about 11am every year on the first day of Syawal. It’s the start of Hari Raya Puasa (Eid ul Fitr) and Muslims are in festive spirits after a month of fasting and abstinence.
Children both in the city and kampong (village) are doubly excited as it is a day to take advantage of the goodwill of the adults and collect green, gold or brown packets with duit raya (eid gift money).
How this phenomenon started is not documented but common sense would lead us to conclude that the Muslims in Malaysia adopted it from the Chinese New Year practice of giving angpow. When it started out, 20sen was the amount for duit raya, or perhaps 50sen. Give anything less than RM1 these days, and children will respond with an incredulous “Itu saja?” (Is that all?)
The kids may come in groups of threes and fours and are usually all dressed up in their Raya finery. They ring the bell, offer a greeting and when you get to the door, they ask if they can celebrate with you.
But they don’t want to come into the house and partake in the food; they only want the duit raya. Azlinda Arshad, who lives in a condominium in Sri Hartamas, says although she has never had children ringing her door bell at her home here, those from her neighbourhood in Kelantan or Terengganu would always get duit raya from everyone, whether strangers or family. “I may be celebrating in Kuala Lumpur this year and though I would love to give to any child who rings my door bell, I would be a little cautious too. There have been reports that children may be used to bait residents into opening their doors and then robbers would strike,” she adds.
Maszalina Joo Abdullah, a senior manager with a tour company, says children have become more demanding about their duit raya.
“In our family, even the children in kindergarten expect more; giving them RM10 is a no-no. They would open the money packet right in front of you and tell you off, saying that you are not keeping up with the times,” she says with a laugh.
The bounty: (From left)Nurislah Izzati and Nur Amira Mirza counting their day’s
taking of duit raya.
However, Maszalina will give a minimum of RM2 to each child who knocks on her door.
“Well, times have changed and really, with the recession, the children can’t buy much with 50sen or RM1,” she reasons.
PR consultant, Datin Hasnah Abdul Rahman, who is from Sarawak, says the practice of giving duit raya is not quite prevalent in Sabah and Sarawak and that money is usually given only to younger and unmarried family members.
“However, here in the peninsula, it seems to be the order of the day. I often find young children walking up to my front door and wishing me Selamat Hari Raya. They usually don’t want to come in and often have a spokesman who will explain their presence.
“Yes, I will give them something.”
Among the children, collecting duit raya is an activity that they look forward to, not only because they will have more money but it is also a time for them to gain confidence in approaching the elders.
Nurislah Izzati Ibrahim, nine, who is rather shy, admits that she has always been a little wary about approaching the elders.
Colourful packets are widely available these days.
But after a few years of collecting duit raya, she has managed to bolster her confidence when greeting and saying hello to them.
“Otherwise I would lose out to my siblings, Adam Hadhari and Nur Amirah Mirza, who are so at ease when talking to older people and asking for their duit raya,” she says, smiling shyly.
According to his sisters, Adam Hadhari, four, is a very straight-forward person who just goes around and says, “Nak duit raya (I want my duit raya).”
All three say they have been taught to save the money.
“We simply love Hari Raya, not just for the duit raya, but also for being able to play with our cousins. At the end of the day, we can count our duit raya together,” says Nurislah
On a personal level, this writer religiously keeps crisp RM1 notes close at hand as she knows the door bell will definitely ring at about 11am.
The giving of duit raya has become part and parcel of the celebrations with banks and many shopping outlets now offering colourful money packets.
The usual colours are green, yellow, gold and brown and the packets normally convey the season’s greetings with pictures of fireworks or beautiful mosques in Malaysia.
By FARIDAH BEGUM
Photos by NORAFIFI EHSAN
The Star
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