Happy Eid Mubarak - Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri 1430 H

Today is Eid ul Fitr. I went to the field near where we live to perform Eid prayer. (Unlike the daily prayers that can be performed at home or in the mosque, the Eid prayer and sermon are preferably performed in a field.)



At home we ate ketupat kari. Ketupat is steamed rice cake wrapped in young coconut leaves (see left picture below). We cut it open, slice it, and usually eat it with kari ayam (chicken curry) and sambal goreng ati (liver in dried chily souce).





It is also the traditon here that people decorate their homes with fragrant flowers like bunga sedap malam (polianthes tuberosa) - the white flowers on long stems in the picture - to welcome their guests. I forgot to buy it until late this morning, so when I got to the nearby florist, we didn't have much choice.

Lebaran (Eid ul Fitr) Travel

Tomorrow (Sept 20, 2009) moslems in Indonesia as are those throughout the world are going to celebrate Eid ul Fitr or Lebaran as it is popularly called here.

Lebaran is the largest and most festive holiday here, probably comparable to Christmas in many other parts of the world. (Christmas is also a big holiday here but not as big as Eid ul Fitr.)

One of the most important traditions of the Lebaran is that people would visit their parents, families, and relatives to ask for their forgiveness and improve ties. For those who live in the cities, this means traveling back to their hometowns and villages. Done by a huge number of people at about the same time, the travel imposes a huge logistical burden on the country's public transportation system which, I must admit, is not in a very good shape. Train tickets would normally be sold out a month ahead of the holiday, so are bus, airline, and ship tickets.

Those who have cars would travel with them. Others would just try about anything to get to their destinations, including riding motorbikes and other means of transportation like trucks and bajaj (a three-weeler motorbike taxi).

Idul Fitri Holiday Shopping in Bandung

I am afraid today's photos are not of good quality (the first one is obviously a bit shaky), but I have to keep and and post them here for the sake of reporting.

As I said yesterday, Moslems are going to celebrate Idul Firti soon. And like at Christmas or any other religious holidays, such an occasion usually means shopping.

Unlike in the Middle East or any other Moslem or Moslem-dominated countries, Idul Fitri in Indonesia and southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Singapore in general are considered to be a bigger and more festive holiday than Idul Adha (the other major Moslem holiday, which is considered a bigger holiday in the Middle East).

There are a lot of fascinating traditions in this area to celebrate Idul Fitri. One of these traditions is extended-family gathering. Kins from near and far would travel long distances just to get together at this time of the year. This tradition is called "mudik" or "pulang kampung" in Indonesia ("balik kampong" in Malaysia), which means more or less "returning home". It is customary for those who live in the cities to go back to the villages or smaller towns where they come from with "oleh-oleh" (gifts) for their extended families and kins. Families and friends would ask forgiveness for any intentional or unintentional trespasses and offeses they might have committed in the past year, and ties of "silaturahim" (compassion) are restored and strenghtened again.

It is also customary for them to dress their best (which usually means new clothes for everyone) and serve the most special foods for the occasion. With all these traditions, it is no wonder that shopping is an important part of the tradition. Shops will be packed with shoppers and shops and businesses, on the other hand, will offer great discounts to attract more customers. (This may sound familiar to those of you who celebrate Christmas. Yes, they are similar as far as the festive mood and shopping frenzy go.)

The shopping and traveling "frenzy" of course put a lot of constraints in logistics. Prices of some basic commodities (and inflation) would usually go up (if only slightly) as businesses are going briskier, roads are packed with travellers/holiday-makers as are trains, commercial flights, and ships.



I took today's photographs at Istana Plaza Shopping Mall, Bandung, a couple of days ago. The top photo is of things offered for sale at the hall of this mall. The bottom photo is of a large camel dolls (?) near the entrance. Somehow, camel - being an animal of the Middle East - is considered as a mascot for the holiday in this mall. Kids love them and, as you can see in the photo, would want a ride on them.