Malay people in the olden days are very concerned about the customs and manners while eating either at home or in councils crowd. It was not only to teaching but also to maintain the decorum of the Malays. For example a person is deprived of sleep after eating. The purpose behind this prohibition is for education and health. If sleep during a full stomach, the food we eat has still not digested. It will distract a person from doing other work such as prayer and so on.
Here are some taboos associated with eating:
1. Eat squat barely living.
2. Eat a vessel can look ugly child.
3. Eating uncooked rice can jaundice.
4. Eat eggs can tembelang cancer.
5. Eat a chicken’s head will nod during biting.
6. Eat the rest of the child later became stubborn child.
7. Eat a plate can children with cleft lip cleft.
8. Eat not dishwasher-law will be slow.
9. Eating bananas can later twin twins.
10. Dinner plates overlap two later married.
11. Eating while walking will be able to stomach ailments.
12. Eat chestnuts inverse, can slow later partner.
13. Eat rice in the scoop can later earned a living.
14. Sleep after dinner later so distended stomach.
In addition there are also taboos manners and discipline associated with eating. Between manners and discipline are as follows:
- When people come to the house, when the host serving food or drink, do not reject it. If satisfied, even if we should at least feel a little dish served it.
- After the food was served, make sure older people sit down first and then drank followed by young people also take their places.
- Girls are required menyenduk rice into the bowl of older people.
- Let older people take food first and then followed by young people. It is not polite to let older people eat the rest of the young people. Therefore, some people make the rules so that young people eat separately from older people or older people than younger people eat first. However, this practice is not very suitable if you want to instill warmth and family spirit among children.
- Preferably when eating foods that take close to us. Do not let the food reach the unreachable. Enlist the help of others who are nearby if we wanted food.
- When extending or receiving food, preferably using the right hand, but if the right hand is dirty, we may use your left hand.
- During outstretched and welcoming food, preferably elbow or wrist accommodated slightly with your other hand.
- While taking gravy or rice, use your left hand to scoop or ladle is not dirty.
- Spoons, plates or bowls do not compete and sounds when menyenduk. It is considered impolite and rude if a spat between the spoon, plate or bowl so that it reads.
- When the meal was not talking. Furthermore, if a mouth full of food.
- If you talk too sure not to cause less pleasant things that can interfere with other people’s appetite.
- Do not eat sounds, such as sipping a drink or chew food.
- While someone else is eating do not blow mucus, phlegm or spit out loud.
- Do not eat too full. Eat up or pillow filling the stomach only.
- If done eating beforehand never lift a plate and leave people who are eating. Preferably wait and make sure everyone has finished eating and then wake up.
- If you want to pack a lunch or dinner table, make sure everyone had finished eating. Disrespectful if update it when other people are still enjoying the meal. If you do, as if we menyindirya to stop eating or prohibiting spend their diet.
- Do not go to someone’s home at lunchtime and dusk. This may interfere with the host because he has cooked enough food for his family. Maghrib prayer also is the shortest time and the arrival of guests awry causing the host to leave the guests alone. Therefore preferably came after Isha time.
Taboo is held not only as a teaching but aims to maintain decency so we do not do things offensively. The Malays are well known for their good manners since time immemorial. Therefore, some of the taboos created so that politeness can be maintained up to the coming generations.