CELEBRATING LEBARAN

As a country with the most populous Moslems in the world, celebrating religious event such as Lebaran or Idul Fitri in Indonesia has been performed and handed downed for years. It has been put in every Moslems annual agenda and awaited with great expectation by each one of them. However, Lebaran or Idul Fitri is not only becoming religious annual event nowadays, but also becoming part of Indonesians tradition which hardly can be found in any other places or countries. How do people celebrate Lebaran? Indonesia is geographically a big country which is stretched from west to east which results many diversities in culture from one place to another place. Thus, people in Kalimantan may have different custom in celebrating Lebaran compared to the people in Java or in Sulawesi, for example. What makes it different is because celebrating Lebaran is adjusted to the local tradition and passed from generation to generation. In general, Moslems in Indonesia have some rituals which they do in celebrating Lebaran. Firstly, Moslems fast during the festival of Ramadhan which usually takes place for approximately a month. At the end of Ramadhan, they celebrate Lebaran or Idul Fitri which is signified by praying together (Shalat Ied) early in the day. Then, the ritual is followed by asking excuses, especially from the younger members in the family to the older ones. The youngers will head down on the olders knees and show their regrets toward their mistakes and inequities. After that, they will have feast together with special menu which is deserved specially in this occasion, namely ketupat and opor ayam. Yet, this feast is not the main intention in celebrating Lebaran, but the togetherness in the family is. Here I will try to mention how people in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, celebrate Lebaran or Idul Fitri, according to my interview with my friend, Dita. Aside of what is mentioned above, there is a special practice of celebrating Lebaran which cannot be found in other places, especially in Java. It is Lebaran visits. Unlike the Lebaran visit in Java which is limited to visiting some houses of close relatives or neighbors for one or two days of Lebaran, in Pontianak the scale of visiting is much wider and can take for more than two days. People, not limited to Moslems only, may visit their neighbors houses door-to-door. Not only their relatives or neighbors, but people will also visit their friends, companions at work, their teachers; anyone they know celebrating Lebaran. So, every house of Moslems will provide any kind of Lebaran snacks and beverages to serve the guests. This visiting activity may last even until a week. However, this practice of visiting is not limited only in Lebaran, but also Christmas and Chinese New Year. In Lebaran, for example, the Christians will come to visit the Moslems houses to congratulate them and vise versa, in Christmas the Moslems will come to the Christians houses to congratulate them. This custom has become part of the local tradition, especially in celebrating the religious events, in order to maintain the unity and tolerance in their society. Fransiska Dewi H 10 6332 008