Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Lebaran and Mudik

mudik

In Indonesia the feast celebration is named Idul Fitri (or we called it Lebaran Day). Sometimes, there are different statements on when the day falls, especially between Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama, because people use different techniques to determine it. Almost all of the people follows the government of Indonesia's statement and the different times have never sparked any riots or protests. This event is recognized as national holiday and starts a few days before Idul Fitri and lasts some days after it. Schools also have different schedule for the holiday as many Islamic schools usually make it a longer holiday.
Another Idul Fitri tradition in Indonesia is mudik that usually applies to urbans who came to Jakarta from Java or other islands in Indonesia. Before Idul Fitri comes, people will go back to their hometowns where their relatives, sometimes including their parents, reside. This event often causes crowding in airports, seaports, and bus stations while some who are travelling by car are trapped in the traffic jam for hours. For little children, asking for money as well as forgiveness from relatives is common to motivate them. Many, especially in the cities, also use the term angpau for the money just like Chinese people do.

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