Eid Holidays: Jakarta Feels Fresh As Millions Left the City to Visit Hometowns
Eid holidays give a great effect to Jakarta's traffic.
oleh Tommy K. Rony diperbarui 22 Apr 2023, 20:09 WIB
Street of Jakarta during Eid holidays. Photo: merdeka.com/Iqbal S. Nugroho
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Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Eid Al-Fitr or Idul Fitri officially starts in Indonesia on Saturday (22/4/2023). Muslims in Indonesia celebrate this holiday by returning to their hometowns (mudik) and meeting their family members.
The toll road operator company Jasa Marga said that 2,78 million vehicles would leave the Greater Jakarta area for Eid holidays this year.
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Meanwhile, the airport operator Angkasa Pura II said over two million people departed from their airports between 12-20 April, up around 26% compared to the same Lebaran period in 2022. The Soekarno Hatta International Airport is operated by the company.
Mudik this year is freer than the previous two years as the government has revoked most of the COVID-19 restrictions. Wearing mask is now only recommended in Indonesia, except in public transportations.
President Joko Widodo is also returning to his hometown in Solo, Middle Java.
While families in various cities and villages are gathering together, those who live in Greater Jakarta also receive benefits as the streets are much less crowded. For about a week, before most people return, the locals in Jakarta can enjoy the less stressful traffic.
Photos: MH Thamrin street is emptier during Eid Holidays
Suasana jalan protokol saat Hari Raya Idul Fitri 1444 Hijriah di Jalan MH Thamrin, Jakarta, Sabtu (22/4/2023). (merdeka.com/Iqbal S. Nugroho)The road around Hotel of Indonesia is also sparse
Pengendara motor melintas saat Hari Raya Idul Fitri 1444 Hijriah di Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, Jakarta, Sabtu (22/4/2023). (merdeka.com/Iqbal S. Nugroho)
Ramadan decoration is seen around the Selamat Datang Monument at the Hotel of Indonesia Roundabout (Bundaran HI).
The area is always crowded during normal days. Various foreign companies and embassies are located around the area, including the embassies of Japan and the European Union.
Photo Ops
Ada yang membawa laptop sambil seolah bermain game. (Liputan6.com/Johan Tallo)
Some people use this opportunity for taking photos on the Jakarta streets. However, the streets are not officially closed, thus cars and motorcycles still can pass around, and taking photos on the streets might not be completely safe.
Different Days for Eid
People were joining the annual Eid prayer at Sunda Kelapa Harbor, North Jakarta, 22 April 2023. Photo: merdeka.com/Iqbal S. Nugroho
After the annual Eid prayer, Indonesians often visit graveyards of their family members to send their prayers. And then they visit the living family members to eat together, apologize to each others, and also give pocket money to the younger family members.
The Indonesian government decided that the first day of Eid was on Saturday instead of Friday like in the Middle East. The difference is not uncommon.
The end of Ramadan month is marked by the visibility of a new moon which marks the first day of Syawal (Shawwal). But on Thursday, the government decided that the new moon was still not visible in various parts of the country.
Other countries in the region, including Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Japan, and Australia, also decided that Eid would not be on Friday.
The Indonesian government, however, does not make it compulsory for people to celebrate Eid on Saturday. Other Muslim communities could celebrate it on different days.
Muhammadiyah, one of the largest Muslim organizations in Indonesia, decided that Eid would be on Friday.
Other Muslim communities such as Tarekat Naqsabandiyah in North Sumatra determined the Eid was on Thursday, while the Kejawen group in Middle Java follows the Aboge calendar system and will celebrate Eid on Sunday.
Aboge calendar is a lunar calendar which combines elements of Javanese dating system.
Arief Aszhari, Tira Santia, Reza Effendi contributed to this report.
