Hari Raya Haji

Tomorrow is our Hari Raya Haji. It is the Aiduladha which later spelt as - presumably more correctly - 'iduladhha. Malay Muslims in Malaysia usually slaughter cattles for the Feast of Sacrifice. I don't have many interesting memories regarding 'Idul-Adhha but one particular thing stands out i. e. I can't bear to witness the act of slaughtering the animals. I understand that sacrificing animals is a religious sanction and they are slaughtered humanely but the soft part of my personality can't see the actual slaughter.

One afternoon, during my days as a small boy in my kampung, I saw a crowd at a small open space in the vast green padang. As soon as I reached the crowd I saw a cow being slaughtered. I saw its blood oozes out of its severed veins (at its neck area) and it makes scary-sounding sound as it is on its death throes. Suddenly I feel "seram-sejuk" but I manage to run away fromt he crowd and rest on the verandah of my uncle's house nearby. Since then I avoid being near places where animals are slaughtered. I can't bear the scene. This puts me in a spot, as we are supposed to - although not obligatory - witness the slaughter. Other than that, Hari Raya Korban is fine with me except that at my age now, I have to be extra careful with my intake of red meat, beef and seafood. And mind you, Hari Raya Haji is a bit uncomfortable for me in dietary terms. And tomorrow and for the three days after, I have many, many invitations to Hari Raya Haji kenduris!

SELAMAT HARI RAYA HAJI1 KORBAN BAYRAM!