One festivity after another

Time really flies. We are already in the month of October and before we know it, the brand new 2008 will be upon us. In many parts of the world, year end is always a time of festivities. In the Western countries, the festivity begins with Halloween on October 31, followed by Thanksgiving on November 22, culminating in Christmas on December 25 before ending it with a big bang with New Year's countdown on the last day of the year.

Over here in Malaysia, we also have our own festivities to keep everyone in the festive mood. The holy month of Ramadan when the Muslims fast from dawn to dusk ends on October 12, with Hari Raya Aidilfitri marking the end of the fasting period of Ramadan. Less than a month after Hari Raya Aidilfitri, the Hindu community will celebrate the victory of good over evil during the Divali festival. Hari Raya Aidiladha will follow on December 20, just a few days before Christmas and New Year. So it's one festivity after another.

Customarily, "open houses" will be held during these cultural and religious festivals. Unique to Malaysia, the "open house" concept is such that friends and families would visit the homes of those who are celebrating the festival, to wish them well and enjoy the feast prepared by their hosts. And when visiting "open houses" it's always polite to bring a gift to the host. With the advent of the internet, I have endless options in choosing an appropriate gift, even when it's not locally available. I can purchase a unique set of crystal fruit collection using The Paragon coupon, or a Seven Habits planner with Franklin Covey deals for a colleague who's into the Seven Habits. All these deals are possible thanks to Coupon Chief, a coupon deal and discount resource website.