A Taste of Everything

Hello everyone! A couple of days ago, I came across a blog that talked about the diverse in cultures and the country Malaysia instantly snapped into my mind.  Did you know that Malaysia is one of the most multicultural nations in Southeast Asia? And Malaysia is also known as Asia’s cultural melting pot, which if you are from visit Malaysia, you would totally understand why. There are several races and religions in Malaysia which came along with their respective festivals, so one can experience a multitude of celebrations and festivals there. From the blog I read, the writer claimed that all divisions of the population in the country should celebrate the same festivals, which I do not totally disagree.

I understand the importance of being one as a community. It is show the spirit of togetherness, which at times are very hard to achieve. In order to grab this peace, one way to do it is everyone regardless of the different religion or races will celebrate the same festival together. If this is scenario is played in our head, it is beautiful, no doubt, if it actually works. But most festivals come from a religious background and it is a tradition. If we decide to ignore those traditional festivals, it will be insensitive to these people.

Each festivals have their own values that they carry. These festivals are not carried out just for fun. For example, a festival that is celebrated by the Muslims in Malaysia is Hari Raya Aidilfitri. This festival is celebrated after going through a month-long of fasting and it is a festival to celebrate their victory. This festival is where families come together and neighbours visit each other. As said earlier, Malaysia is the melting cultural pot of Asia. During Hari Raya, Muslims would usually hold gatherings where traditional foods are served and they would invite their Indians and Chinese friends over to celebrate it together.

On top of that, these festivals are tied to religion. Therefore, during celebrating festivals, it is not only about the joy and tasty food but it is also about getting closer to God. Take Christmas as an example, it is about celebrating the birth of Christ to the Christians but that does not mean people from other religion cannot celebrate them as well. Christmas is also about giving. Therefore, the other people can also celebrate Christmas by giving out gifts and presents to friends and family.

As a conclusion, I stand at a point where the people of different religions and races should celebrate their own festivals and the rest of the population of the country should support and enjoy the festive season together. With this, everyone in a country will get a taste of different cultures all in one.

- Arissa