KUCHING: In the weeks leading up to Hari Raya Aidilfitri, families can often be seen in malls and boutiques holding up fabrics and debating a familiar festive question — what colour should the baju raya be this year?
While Raya fashion has long been associated with traditional shades like green and gold, today’s festive palette appears far more varied, shaped by social media trends, personal style and family preferences.
Members of the public suggest that while some are embracing bold and playful colours trending online, others still find comfort in classic hues that have long symbolised the festive season.
For 24-year-old Jasnita Ahmad Randurah from Kuching, this year’s Raya fashion scene feels noticeably more adventurous.
She pointed out that colours such as matcha strawberry, lime green, plum and teal blue appear to be gaining traction, particularly among younger people who are increasingly willing to experiment with vibrant tones.
According to Jasnita, people seem more confident wearing bold colour combinations compared to previous years when softer or more neutral shades often dominated festive wardrobes.
Despite observing these trends, her family has opted for something gentler this Hari Raya.
“We decided to go with pastel yellow,” she said, explaining that the decision came about rather spontaneously when her mother expressed a desire to try something different instead of choosing darker colours as they had done before.
For Jasnita, the choice felt natural as yellow has always been one of her favourite colours.
However, she emphasised that she does not usually follow Raya colour trends strictly, preferring instead to select styles that reflect her own taste.
In her view, the festive season cannot be represented by a single shade because each person associates colours with different memories and emotions.
“I think every colour holds a special meaning for different people,” she said, noting that whether someone chooses a single colour or a mixture of colours, each palette ultimately reflects a personal story.
If she were asked to describe Hari Raya using just one colour, Jasnita said she would choose golden mustard.
She explained that the reason is rooted not in fashion but in nostalgia. The shade reminds her of the walls of the house where she spent her childhood, a space filled with memories of family gatherings, laughter and togetherness during Hari Raya celebrations.
Meanwhile, Mohd Faizal Saudi, 29, from Sarikei, said he has noticed that lighter shades appear to be gaining popularity, particularly on social media platforms where festive fashion trends circulate widely.
Although he does not actively keep track of seasonal colour themes, Faizal said he has observed colours such as light blue and light yellow appearing frequently online.
His own family eventually chose light blue as their Raya theme, though the decision was not influenced by trends.
Instead, the colour was selected during a casual shopping trip when they came across a set of outfits that caught their attention.
“We just stumbled across it while looking for baju raya in the mall and thought the colour looked nice,” he said.
Faizal added that he usually chooses colours based on personal preference rather than following what is currently fashionable.
However, when asked which colour best represents the spirit of Hari Raya, he believes the answer remains closely tied to tradition.
Green, he said, has long been associated with the festive season and continues to symbolise Raya for many people.
Growing up, Faizal said the colour appeared everywhere during Hari Raya, from the familiar green packets used to distribute duit raya to the ketupat decorations and festive lights that adorn homes and public spaces.
He also noted that green holds religious significance and is often associated with Islam, adding another layer of meaning to its presence during Aidilfitri celebrations.
For 23-year-old Mizan Qistina Noruden from Kota Samarahan, the influence of digital culture on festive fashion is unmistakable.
She said colour combinations such as “matcha strawberry” and teal blue have been appearing frequently on her TikTok feed, making them among the most recognisable trends for Raya this year.
The matcha strawberry palette in particular has gained popularity online due to its soft yet playful contrast between pastel green and pink tones, which many young people describe as visually appealing.
Despite being aware of these trending combinations, Mizan said her family ultimately chose a different direction for their celebration.
Their outfits will feature burgundy or maroon paired with ash blue or baby blue.
She joked that the decision was made simply because her mother preferred those colours.
Like many households preparing for Hari Raya, she said family members often collaborate when selecting their festive outfits, though mothers sometimes have the final say.
In her view, Hari Raya cannot truly be defined by a single colour because the celebration itself is inherently vibrant.
“Hari Raya equals colours,” she said, explaining that the festive season is about joy, expression and individuality.
Still, when thinking about the colours that most closely symbolise the celebration, she acknowledged that green and yellow remain deeply embedded in the imagery of Hari Raya.
From ketupat decorations to festive banners and street lights, these colours have become visual markers of Aidilfitri across Malaysia.
For Jeffri Isheak, 37, from Kuching, colour themes once played a larger role in family Raya preparations than they do today.
He recalled that in previous years, families often coordinated their outfits according to specific themes, sometimes choosing matching shades to create a unified look during gatherings and photographs.
In recent years, however, his family has moved away from that approach and no longer follows any particular colour theme.
Instead, Jeffri said they now prefer focusing on the experience of celebrating together rather than worrying about coordinated outfits.
Despite this shift, he still associates Hari Raya strongly with one particular colour.
Green, he said, remains the shade that best represents the festive season.
He explained that the association comes from years of seeing the celebration depicted through that colour in decorations, advertisements and media portrayals of Raya.
“Growing up, the spirit of Raya was always represented by green,” he said.
While colour trends may shift over time, the memories tied to them often stay the same.
Long after the outfits are folded away, the colours of Raya remain part of the stories families remember.
