Idul Fitri

I spent the holiday of Idul Fitri in Yogya. Idul Fitri is the celebration that follows the month of fasting (Ramadan). As far as I can tell, Idul Fitri is the equivalent of Christmas in America. Everyone goes home to their families, eats lots of food, shops are closed, kids get money and clothes as gifts, and travel can be hellacious.

The holiday begins when the new moon can be seen. This is a matter of some debate, and has a funny effect: some Muslims celebrate Hari Raya (King Day, the day after breaking fast) on Friday, and the others celebrate on Saturday. Why? There are two major Muslim organizations in Indonesia. One calculates the appearance of the new moon, while the other uses powerful telescopes to visualize the moon. This year, the calculations and the visualization conflicted, and Hari Raya was celebrated on two different days, depending on which Muslim organization people chose to follow. Thus some people were still fasting on Friday, while others were already stuffing themselves with food! Traditional food for Idul Fitri includes kecapan, rice wrapped in leaves and boiled, as well as a chicken coconut curry.

My host family here in Yogya is Muslim, and the whole family was in town to celebrate; my host mother has 5 children, who all have spouses, who all have kids, so the house was filled with people! After about an hour of being social, I tried to escape to an internet café to work, only to find that almost all businesses are closed during this holiday. This was unfortunate, given that I’m trying to finish a grant application and require online access.