What is the meaning of Hari Raya Idul Fitri as perceived by foreigner ?

Here is Hari Raya Aidul Fitri or Idul Fitri as stated on Wikipedia. In Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, Eid is also commonly known as Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Hari Raya Idul Fitri or Hari Raya Puasa. Hari Raya literally means Great Day i.e. The Day. Muslims in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore celebrate Eid like other Muslims throughout the world. It is the biggest holiday in Indonesia and Malaysia and is the most awaited one. Shopping malls and bazaars are filled with people days ahead of Hari Raya, causing a distinctive festive atmosphere throughout the country. Many banks, government and private offices are closed for this holiday, which usually lasts a week. Id-ul-Fitr or Eid ul-Fitr often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning festivity, while Fir means to break fast; and so the holiday symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period. It is celebrated after the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan, on the first day of Shawwal. Note : I cant copy of the arabic scripts (characters) so I write it in roman (English). Eid ul-Fitr is a day long celebration and is sometimes also known as the Smaller Eid as compared to the Eid ul-Adha that lasts four days and is called the Greater Eid (du l-kabr). Muslims are commanded by the Quran to complete their fast on the last day of Ramadan and then recite the Takbir all throughout the period of Eid The night before Eid is with the takbir which is held in the mosques or musallas. In many parts of Indonesia as well as Malaysia, especially in rural areas, pelita or panjut or lampu colok (as known by Singaporean Malays) (oil lamps) are lit up in house compounds. Eid also witnesses a huge migratory pattern of Muslims, from big metropolitan cities to rural areas. This is known as balik kampung or mudik in Indonesian literally going back to home town to celebrate Eid with ones parents. Special dishes like ketupat, dodol, lemang (a type of glutinous rice cake cooked in bamboo) and other IndoMalay delicacies are served during this day. It is common to greet people with Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri or Salam Aidilfitri which means Happy Eid. Muslims also greet one another with mohon maaf lahir dan batin in Indonesian and maaf zahir dan batin in Malaysian, which means Forgive my physical and emotional (wrongdoings), because Eid ul-Fitr is not only for celebrations but also the time for Muslims to cleanse their sins and strengthen their ties with relatives and friends. It is customary for Indonesians and Malaysians to wear traditional cultural outfits on the Eid. The outfit for men is called baju melayu or baju koko (in Indonesia) which is worn together with kain samping (made out of songket) and songkok (a dark coloured headgear); in Indonesia the men will usually wear pants with similar color to the shirt or (normal black pants) and a (black head cover called) [Peci]. The women in Indonesia and Malaysia wear what is known as baju kurung and baju kebaya. It is a common practice however for the Malay Muslims in Singapore to refer to the baju kurung in reference to the type of outfit, worn by men. For the non-Malay Muslims, they would usually don costumes that are peculiar of their respective culture and tradition.

Once the prayer is completed, it is also common for Muslims in Indonesia and Malaysia to visit the graves of loved ones. During this visit, they clean the grave, recite Ya-Seen, a chapter (surah) from the Quran and also perform the tahlil ceremony. All these are done to ask for God to forgive the dead and also those who are living. The rest of the day is spent visiting relatives or serving visitors. Eid ul-Fitr is a very joyous day for children for on this day adults are especially generous. Children will be given token sums of money, also known as duit raya, from their parents or elders.[1][2] In Indonesia there is a special ritual called halal bi-halal. During this, Indonesians visit their elders, in the family, the neighborhood, or their work, and show respect to them. They will also seek reconciliation (if needed), and preserve or restore harmonious relations.[3] Islamic calendar Although Eid ul-Fitr is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar falls approximately 11 12 days earlier each successive year, since the Islamic calendar is lunar and the Gregorian calendar is solar. Eid may also vary from country to country depending on whether the moon has been sighted or not. The future dates for the US are estimated at: 2009: 20 September 2010: 10 September 2011: 31 August 2012: 19 August 2013: 8 August 2014: 29 July 2015: 19 July Eid ul-Fitr begins the night before each of the above dates, at sunset. Refferences : 1. Yusof, Mimi Syed & Hafeez, Shahrul (Oct. 30, 2005). When Raya was a bewildering experience. New Straits Times, p. 8. 2. van Doorn-Harder, Nelly. Southeast Asian culture and Islam. Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim world. p. 649 3. Armijo, Jacqueline M. East Asian culture and Islam. Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim world, p. 191