The Hari Raya Survival Guide

Hari Raya is the time of the year when your families living abroad will come home and your long-lost friends will come to visit. To receive these special guests, the preparation must be special too.

When you are hosting a Hari Raya makan-makan the preparation might take you days or even weeks before the month of Syawal arrives. And the struggle is real and can be very stressful to some people.

So, to make sure you get to keep your sanity and survive the big day, please share this survival guide with your friends.

1. Don’t kill yourself cooking for 50 visitors

This is not the time to be experimental. Cooking for 50 people require lots of skills, preparation, time and effort.

Instead of taking a gamble, you can outsource it to experts. Find a good caterer that suits your taste buds this Hari Raya. At most, you can supplement the catering with one of your signature dishes.

2. Leave the hardcore cleaning to the pros

Hari Raya is the time when every corner of your house will be occupied by your families and friends. Be it the living room, backyard, kitchen, hallway, TV room or even your study room. Hire a professional cleaner to scrub, dust and mop every inch of the house before and after the big gathering.

3. Make sure your house has enough seating

If you have a chair with wobbly legs, sofa with torn fabrics or your child’s drawing on the wall, take this opportunity to have it refurbished. Get professional advice and contractor immediately, so it’ll be ready just in time for Hari Raya.

4. Reserve a room for guests to pray

This is especially important if you are expecting guests travelling from far.

As they might be staying over for longer time, set up a cosy, dedicated room or area for them to perform prayers and rest. By doing so, you wouldn’t have to invite the guests to use your kids’ post-avalanche room.

5. Fix roof leaks

Remember when it’s raining cats and dogs outside AND inside your house? Undoubtedly, that is the biggest sign that your ceiling is due for major fix. Be ready for the rainy days and have the holes and leakage area fixed before it gets worst. A professional contractor would know what needs to be done.

6. Don’t sacrifice your beauty sleep making the cookies and cakes

Although having a long dessert buffet spread is in your wish list for Hari Raya, don’t feel pressured to do it yourself. There are thousands of talented baker in Malaysia ready to cream the butter for you. All you have to do is to order the best-selling desserts from recommended bakers or request for a custom-made order.

7. Delegate the work

Planning for an open-house for Hari Raya can be very tiring. Booking the tents, sending out invitations, decorating the house, ordering food and preparing goodie bags are some of the things that need to be done. If it is too much for you to handle, find a good party planner to assist you.