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As Raya is around the corner, many will start their balik kampung journey (“return to the village” journey) early thanks to an extra holiday announced for this Friday by our Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Packing for the annual tradition of the long distance drive back to the hometown comes with all kinds of stresses, but there are some whose Hari Raya journey would be remembered for years to come.
1. Instead of Ketupat Lemang, this Family Packed Garbage For Their Trip Home for Hari Raya
A post from Twitter user @brgsejks shared a picture of a single black Iswara on the other side of a packed highway with the caption, “He must have forgotten to turn off his house lights.”
This prompted other Twitter users to share their own stories of going home for Raya:
This following tweet is like the Raya song “ketupat rendang sila nikmati, kawan penat memasak malam ke pagi” (“Please enjoy the ketupat rendang, my friends. We worked hard to cook it from night until morning.”)
Twitter user Nurul (@badpatootie) shared: “I remembered one time, my mom packed ketupat and lemang to bring balik kampung in a garbage bag, the biggest one she could find.”
Nurul’s mother then asked their father to throw away some other garbage from the kitchen.
“My dad threw away the ketupat lemang and brought garbage balik kampung instead.”
Nurul’s mom was so upset with her dad, they didn’t speak for the whole journey back to their kampung.
The next morning, during the Salam Raya ritual, Nurul’s dad apologised for that incident to her mum.
After all, the true meaning of Syawal is that it’s a month of forgiveness.
Read the full tweet here.
2. That sinking feeling when you forgot to pack your Baju Raya
Twitter user @afiqtion shared: “When me and my siblings were younger, we packed our own clothes before heading back to kampung. In the car (before we reached Sungai Besi toll) my sister asked if we helped load her black backpack into the car. We said no.”
Instead of turning the car around, their dad told her to borrow her baju raya from her cousins.
If you forgot to pack your baju raya and realised it 2 hours into the journey, would you dare to ask your dad to turn around?
Read the full tweet here.
3. A mischievous prank between siblings turned into a 2-hour delay
Fooling around with your siblings is the sweetest memory that people with siblings know. Especially when you can komplot (scheme) together against your parents.
Twitter user @Noraihanfaisal shared: “One time me and my brother kicked the driver’s seat many times and it eventually came loose.”
“When my father got in the car seat, we pretended the seat was fine by holding the seat in place.”
“We held it up with our legs until we couldn’t take it anymore, then the seat collapsed and my father had a rude shock.”
“It took us two more hours to fix the seat and return home for raya.”
Faisal’s father told them (jokingly) to “sit on the roof of the car as punishment” because they are very delinquent.
Read the full tweet here.
Why do we “Balik Kampung”?
“Balik kampung” is a Malay phrase that directly translates to “return to the village” in English. It refers to going back to one’s hometown or village, during a festive season like Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, or Christmas.
In Malaysia the concept of “balik kampung” is deeply rooted in cultural traditions and often associated with a sense of nostalgia, reunion, and community bonding.
It also is a time for city folk who have moved away from their hometowns to return to their villages where they grew up, to reconnect with their roots, and celebrate special occasions with loved ones.
As you return to your hometowns, make sure to enjoy this Raya with the loved ones and have a safe journey balik kampung!
Salam Syawal and Eid Kareem!
Do you have an interesting story? Email us at hello@inreallife.my
For more stories like this, read: https://inreallife.my/malaysian-politicians-need-to-stop-giving-out-public-holidays-like-freebies-heres-why/
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