Raya season is almost upon us and most of us would already be looking forward to the festivities that will soon unfold. Including the ubiquitous whirlwind of Raya open houses.
When we were younger, an open house was probably one of the best things about Raya. Relatives would fawn over your cuteness while randomly giving you packets of money and delicious food.
However, now that we’re adults, having to attend open houses can sometimes turn into quite a chore. Why? Because now as working adults, we’re the ones who need to fork out the money packets. And even worse? Having to fend off those barrage of personal questions with a forced smile on our faces. To top it off, we have to eat so much food that all the weight we lost during the fasting month just seems like a distant dream.
That said, we need to remember that going to open houses is a wonderful opportunity to come together and celebrate with friends and family. To best enjoy this once a year ‘activity’, we just need to prepare for them so that we’ll be able to enjoy the celebrations rather than dreading them.
Here’s my list of top ways to survive this open season. Or open house season!
EAT SPARINGLY
Eating at any open house should be a strategic endeavour. Most of us have to attend two to three different open houses in one day so eating until you’re full at the first open house isn’t a great way to start the day.
What I prefer to do is show up to an open house and ask my host which food has been cooked by the host or ordered specifically for the event. This way, I’m able to sample the most important dish at each house and provide my compliments to my host without having to contend with my seams bursting. Try not to go for any small titbits like the peanuts or kuih raya because you don’t want to fill your stomach unnecessarily.
WEAR THE RIGHT CLOTHES
The most important thing to do is to wear something comfortable, cooling and loose. You don’t want to be sweating in a tight outfit while having to body hug your relatives. Also, ensure that you never wear white! The last time I wore a white outfit to a Raya event, I ended up with three types of rendang stains on my clothes. That does not look good!
Also, because you’ll be going in and out of houses, make sure that you wear sandals and shoes that are easy to take off. No one wants to wait five minutes for you to tie your shoe laces before they can move on to the next house.
AVOIDANCE STRATEGIES
Now for the most important tip to surviving this season – avoidance strategies.
One of the worst things about open houses is that you’ll end up meeting a slew of people who inevitably end up asking you a list of very intrusive personal questions. Are you married yet? What’s taking so long? Why are you not pregnant? Why haven’t you been promoted at work yet? The list goes on.
The thing is, the people who ask these questions tend to be elderly, and it’s important that we remain respectful. Walking away in a hurry is definitely not the answer.
Instead, try changing subjects as quickly as possible. The best way to do this is to complement the questioner about their children, home, food or clothes. If they continue to ask you questions, you can jokingly ask them the question back. For example, “why aren’t you pregnant? You’re young enough to have a few more kids”. Avoid the questions enough and you’ll be able to get away.
However, if you’re just uncomfortable with avoidance strategies, you could always tell them that you need to use the toilet. And avoid eye contact for the rest of the evening.
TOP RAYA FOOD PICKS
Rendang Daging
I personally like rendang daging because I like beef. More importantly, it’s the most value-for-money rendang because beef is horridly expensive during this season.
Satay
There is nothing better than having barbequed meat on a stick. The best thing about it is that it’s a great dish to mingle with. It’s easy to carry around while you have conversations with people.
Laksa
I love laksa, and during the raya season, a lot of people pull out all the stops and tend to make laksa from their hometowns. It’s usually more authentic than restaurants, so it’s a great dish to sample at someone’s home.
