I just returned from the Terengganu Chief Minister's house, where buffets of traditional Malaysian food line the packed verandas in celebration of the first day of Hari Raya.  Today is Eid ul-Fitr, or Aidilfitri as Malaysians call it, the day after the end of Ramadan but certainly not the first or last day of celebration.  Graham and I sat with our Nasi Dagang, Nasi Rendang, Sarawak cake, Hari Raya cookies and corn juice (that was a mistake) admiring the men's intricate, shimmering songket wrapped over their Baju Melayu and the women's new Baju Raya, counting the thousand-and-one ways to wear a head scarf.  Everyone buys a new outfit for Hari Raya, and often whole families match.  The Chief Minister's family was all in orange as they greeted us at the entrance.

Some schools let out early on Thursday (the end of the week day in Terengganu) while others opened to generally poor attendance as many students stayed home to help prepare for the celebration.  It's not as though Malaysians weren't celebrating during the whole month of Ramadan.  As a friend explained, "We fast all month, why not celebrate all month?"  Not only has there been the occasional daytime "bang" of poppers in a can, but every day, shortly after the cannon shot from the top of Bukit Puteri marks the time for fast breaking (not nearly as loud as the bang that nearly knocked me out of my chair just now) and the prayer, the fireworks begin.

But none so incredible as last night.  Fireworks erupted all over Kuala Terengganu and across the bridge at Pulau Duyong, blooming over the Crystal Mosque.  We ran to the top floor of the building to watch.  The streets of the kampung below were filled with children and adults shooting firework guns (never have seen those before), noisemakers that hop across the ground before a horrendously loud pop and ball of white flame, and real bungga manggis-style explosions of color.  The smoke hung low and the streets were empty, but they blocked off the kampung with shopping carts and the police cruised slowly on by.  I've been told fireworks are illegal here, but as Kentuckians make the pilgrimage to Tennessee each year, my presumption is that the Thai border isn't such a long trip.

The spirit of celebration has enlivened this sleepy town, where staying at home has been the modus operandi the whole time I've been here.  Now, I'm scheduled to visit eleven houses in the next three and a half days (and scheduled to eat at least one meal per house, count it) and I am so glad to be here.  Malaysian culture has been in many ways closed to me so far, because Terengganu Malaysians spend most of their time with their families and I have no family here.  So living a "Malaysian life," which is what I came here to do, has been difficult.  Now, in the exuberance of Hari Raya and spirit of Ramadan, everyone is being so warm and so welcoming.  A teacher invited me to her mother's house two days ago to teach me how to wrap palas leaves to make ketupot pulut, glutinous rice satchels that keep the insects off and can preserve the rice for a week.  I'm now officially Not Bad at it:

(No, I did not make all of these.)

I'm also learning two Hari Raya songs to sing on the first day back from school, when we're skipping classes in favor of a buffet and potluck, beautiful-baju contests, and performances.  In a lot of ways, the Malaysian manifestation of this holiday reminds me of Christmas, with its special foods, holiday cookies, extended build-up, and emphasis on family togetherness, love, and world peace.  For children, it's magic; for adults, it's the magic of childhood.

One difference is there doesn't seem to be much gift-giving, and certainly not at the magnitude of Christmas in America.  The chain stores hint at it with displays of overstuffed "hampers" (food baskets) and Hari Raya cookies; perhaps they know how Western stores cash in during the Christmas season and envy the trend.  But it's refreshing that it hasn't really caught on in Terengganu.

A colleague told me on Thursday that even in Egypt and Saudi Arabia Eid ul-Fitr isn't celebrated so much as it is here.  Hari Raya is counted in days (I have plans for the first day, second day, third day, fourth day ...) and one student even exclaimed that it's a month-long holiday after Ramadan ends, though that may be a little excessive for some.  It's already been in high gear for the past month and now a week of festivities is in order.  

The only problem is the 10 pounds I'll have gained by the end.