In South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh they would greet each other with words like “Eid Mubarak”. While our Western friends would simply greet us “Happy Eid.”

They used to say those greetings whenever they meet particularly after Idul Fitri prayer. But now with many innovative technologies they might say it through SMS, phone call, email, website (like this one), Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and many others, you name it.

Is Idul Fitri Important?

Yes to many Muslims and that’s why they celebrate it. However,  every Muslims in every countries have the different ways on how to celebrate the important of Idul Fitri. Many Muslims celebrate it simply by observing Idul Fitri’s prayer collectively in the mosque. This is what happens in many countries.

Muslims in Indonesia, however, celebrate Idul Fitri in much more funfare and more “extravagant” if you like. Probably like our Christian friends celebrate Christmas and New Year combined.

The Mudik Tradition

A week before Idul Fitri, many people who have been working in big cities will come home en mass to their original residents mostly in rural areas but many of them in other cities. This is called mudik literally means going home.  But as Chaedar Alwasilah said in the Jakarta Post, mudik stands for more than just its literal meaning:

… in the context of Ramadan, such rendering is simplistic as it fails to capture its psychological meaning. Mudik is a linguistic symbol representing a world of multiple realities perceived differently by, say, Muslim clerics, business men, the police, students, parents, housemaids, vendors, and low-income workers.

The mudik phenomenon is an annual event that distinctively characterizes Indonesian Muslims as a nation. Fasting in Ramadan and celebrating Idul Fitri are commonly observed by Muslims all over the globe, yet mudik is uniquely characteristic of Indonesians. As a recurring event mudik is predictable in many aspects, and therefore it can be explained sociologically. [1]

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Whether you are one of those who are doing mudik or not, I’d like to say it again what I say in the first paragraph of this post: “Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri 1430. Minal Aidzin wal Faizin. Mohon Maaf Lahir dan Batin”
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Notes:

[1] Reinterpreting Mudik, Jakarta Post, 13 September 2009