Dear Dennis, I was very happy to receive your letter last week. In your
letter, you asked me about the people and religions in my country.
I am happy to say that my country is a multi-racial country where there is
religious freedom. It is home to people of different religions. The different
religious groups have very different practices and religious festivals.
The Buddhists, for instance, observe the first and fifteenth days in the
lunar calendar as religious days to offer prayers to Buddha. They go to the
temples as early as five in the morning to pray. On these two days, they also
fast or observe a vegetarian diet.
As for the Hindu devotees, they celebrate
Thaipusam and Deepavali. When making a wish at the temple, they go through the
ritual of praying and then breaking a
coconut on the ground. Every day, they light a lamp at the altar of the gods as
part of the ritual.
The Muslim males must attend prayers at the mosque on Fridays. On other days,
both males and females pray five times a day. They do it in such a manner that
they face the direction of the holy city of Mecca. During fasting month, they
exercise self-discipline and fast while preparing for Hari Raya.
As for the Christians, they attend church for prayer and
worship on weekends. Some groups hold Bible
classes once a week. they celebrate Christmas in December every year.
I hope I have given you some idea about the different religious groups in my
country. Perhaps, you can tell me about yours in your next letter. Goodbye.
Your friend, |