Our Hari Raya

For our family, this year Hari Raya is very calm and peaceful, one of the most beautiful hari raya we ever had. We did not have to go through the hassle of packing and doing the mad rush back to kampung. Actually this is the 7th year we have spent our Hari Raya here. Finally, 7 years ago our family had matured and we have accepted the fact that our kampung now is here in shah alam. When my family was young, I had dreaded the coming of Hari Raya as well looked forward to going back to my kampung. As a young couple my husband and I both had insisted that the first day of Hari Raya be spent in each parents house. After the usual, much painful and tearful discussion (arguements??) we ended up each of us with our own mother on the first day of hari raya. On the second day of Hari Raya we would get together to visit the in laws. Now after all these years my husband and I thought that was not a very good idea. We should have taken turn to be with one of the parents and then the other. Actually we were immature and there was nobody to guide us. We were torn between the love of our own family and the new family extension we have created (we both have a large close knit family). Now its all done, my mother in law had passed away many years since and my mother is old. She understand our situation does not insist that we go back to her on the hari raya days. We can take our time to do so on other days of the year. So with our experience we will advice our children when they get married, to take turn coming back to our house one hari raya and going back to thier in laws for the next one. That is one wisdom we have acquired! May you all the young couples out there be wiser than us in handling the Hari Raya balik kampung situation!Good Luck!