Educating Children :: Duit Raya

Assalammualaikum w.b.t.

We're so used of having angpao or duit raya during Eid Mubarak until our children seeing it as something needed instead of going asking for apologize. I remember when I was in standard 4, collecting duit raya is something fun to do especially when we're with our friends and we start to stop by at any houses. That is what Eid Mubarak means to me instead of celebrating it after the month of Ramadhan.

When I grow up, I realise the collection I have is not as much as I have before. And I start to wonder why. Maybe because of my age, my size or maybe because I was in form 5, that means I'm 17 years!

When I start working, it's my turn to give what tradition and custom start to teach me before. I prepared duit raya for about 50 packs and to my surprise, the kids coming to my house looking inside of it and making funny faces. They left the packs on the table and took only the money. They even talks about the amount just before they step out of our house!

Then I learn that maybe I should educate kids nowadays. Instead of giving them, I want them to come, salaam me and at least say 'Selamat Hari Raya' before I give them one of the green packets. Because I saw what my parents did when we went to houses, they start looking for the children who was watching television to give the green packets, that didn't even bothered my parents when they went into the house. The parents didn't teach their kids to salaam the older people and respect when people come.

So, what I saw was my parents usually will say 'Ok, acik nak balik dah ni. Nah,' and my parents will give the packs to the kids, the kids didn't even blink their eyes from the telly!

Nah, this is what I did this time. When we went for beraya, I didn't look for the children. Only if they come, salaam me before I went back, then I took out the green packet. Same goes to the children that went to my house.

I talk to my sisters, knowing that they still collecting it, I told them what I did. And that Syawal means we're looking for apologize and connecting to each other, knowing our relatives and so on, and it's more that just collecting green packets. So if you have it, syukran. If not, let's enjoy the fun we have travelling from one place to another.