The Mystification of “Mudik Lebaran”

“Lebaran” is an Indonesian popular word that substitutes the Arabic-internalized word “Eid al-Fitr” or “Eid al-Adha”. The word “Lebaran” is easily spoken by Muslims in Indonesia who do not use Arabic in their everyday life. It is not only because Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Adha is difficult to be translated into Bahasa, but it is also because Arabic is known as the most complicated language in the world. Therefore, instead of being slipped of tongue, many nominal Muslims (Abangan) in Indonesia—particularly—prefer to use the word “Lebaran”. In addition, most of the media often use the word “Lebaran”.

However, the word “Lebaran” is not too clear where it derives from? Some people assume that it comes from a Javanese word “lebar” which means “finished”, then the word “lebar” is absorbed into Indonesian language with additional suffix “an”, so it becomes a common vocabulary for a celebration when the fasting ritual is ‘finished”. Another said, “lebaran” is derived from Betawi, “Lebar” which means “wide and broad”, so the celebration means to broaden or widen one’s heart feeling after fasting ritual of Ramadhan. Besides that, Madurese people have also a similar word called “lober” to describe the completion of an event, namely the fast of Ramadan. So whatever the origin, the word “lebaran” in Indonesian Dictionary is interpreted as a Muslim holiday that falls on the 1st of Shawwal, after the fasting month of Ramadhan.

“Lebaran” is always performed by most Indonesian Muslims by going back to their homelands and family, namely “mudik”. Thousands of people return from cities to villages in order to meet their beloved ones. They do not even care about the expensive ticket and the risk being on the road. Many accidents happen during this season of joy. “Lebaran” can hypnotize people. The question is why people are so excited for this “mudik”?

First, “mudik” is considered to have a spiritual and cultural meaning. After begging forgiveness of God throughout the month of Ramadan, a person intends to ask for forgiveness from his/her parents, relatives, and neighbors in the village. Based on Javanese and Madurese tradition, “Lebaran” is one of the annual rite performed by asking forgiveness (sungkem) to the elderly. If the parents had already died, then “Lebaran” is the moment for religious visit to their tombs. In fact, grave is the place where the children knit communication with deceased parents. Because of this reason also, they reject teachings that ban grave visitation.

Second, complexity of issues in the city makes anyone feels going back to the past alone. By doing so, he/she is like folding the time, leading to his/her childhood life. It is well recorded   their memories when he/she and friends had chased each other in the rice field while the rice grains are yellowing, playing sand on the beach, bathing in the beautiful river, and so on. That is why, people are flooding the village, where they grew up.

Once a year in Lebaran season, they will try so hard desperately to return home. In fact, over time, places where they used to play, many of them have turned into factories, dams, ponds, and others. Beautiful hill, springs, bathing areas in the village are already gone. Finally, the beauty of the village is only in memory, not in reality.

Now, most people do not want to be stuck on the mystification of “Lebaran” a la the agrarians.  Childhood period can never be restored. Returning to the childhood moment is absurd idea. Land, where we are nurtured and brought up culturally, has changed a lot. Not only has the village changed physically, but also its inhabitants. Romanticism about mutual cooperation and sincerity of the villagers has started to disappear. Finally, if you just want to go home and get the roots of culture, it would not be on holiday. Asking forgiveness (Sungkem) from the older people and the neighbors do not have to wait until “Lebaran” season. Happy “Eid” 1431 H.