As Raya was quickly approaching, jokes about receiving duit raya from Muslim colleagues quickly became the most common thing in the office, some half heartedly and some fully joking. This made me realise that I didn’t really know the customs of duit raya-giving in the country, and never really asked about it much.
In curiosity, I reached out to a Muslim colleague sitting nearby me if duit raya-giving practices were similar to that of CNY angpaus – where in Malaysia, you usually only start giving out angpau to those around or younger than you once you get married. Hence, before being lawfully wedded, you’re not obliged to give out angpau by custom.
This followed a fruitful discussion where it was, indeed, not a similar custom or practice amongst Muslims during Hari Raya. My colleague informed me that rather than depending solely on marital status, individuals, married or not, can begin (or are even expected to) give out duit raya to those around them once they started working. Once they’ve completed their education and have stepped into the working world, they are deemed adults that can take care of themselves and contribute back to the household, which includes giving duit raya especially to those directly related or younger than them.
It's interesting to realise that while both races and religions coexist in Malaysia peacefully, we sometimes don’t delve deeper to learn more about the finer details between the different customary practices in Malaysia. That no matter how long you’ve resided in Malaysia, there’s always still something new to learn about our fellow citizens, which make our bond so strong.
One thing remains the same between both duit raya and angpau-giving practices – no one is obliged to follow or be pressured to follow the customs if they are financially unable to. Every ringgit given out is a token of appreciation and support to those around us during celebratory seasons, but the mutual respect remains that even if you end up giving out packets or not, its always the thought that counts.
Selamat Hari Raya, everyone!
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