Eid al-Fitr
Today marked the end of Ramadan as the day of Eid al-Fitr or Idul Fitri as Indonesians call it. We started the day at 6:00am which was refreshing not having to wake up at 3:30am. Everyone puts on their special outfits for Idul Fitri, you can usually find siblings or families wearing matching outfits. I have a theory that matching outfits in Indonesia are a sign of social superiority in a way, because if you're part of a group, if you've gone on Haji- there's pride in unity and sense of community through matching batik or outfits. That's one of the ways I think being in Indonesia and America differs, because for an everyday occasion you wouldn't necessarily want to look the same as someone, you would want to stand out. Even when we're given matching shirts or uniforms, we're always looking for a way to put our spin on it.
Anyway, getting back on track. After everyone's looking fly, there's a mass crowd at the mosque ready to ring in Idul Fitri with a good sholat. There's a partition to separate the men from the women, and in order to partake in prayer you MUST be clean, thus for women on their period they are not allowed to participate in praying or if during Ramadan, fasting. I have a much different outlook to getting my period during Ramadan because it was the time when I could eat on my own time and not have to wake up before the crack of dawn; but I've noticed that for many of the women when they have their period there is a sense of guilt that they cannot participate and honestly, when I had my period and everyone else was fasting half the time I didn't even feel like eating, but then I ate because I'm not allowed to fast even by accident. Fasting is one of the holiest things you can do.
This morning, my host mother realized that it was her time of the month and the sadness on her face to miss this moment of praying with everyone was really sad, it's like not being allowed or forbidden to attend mass on Christmas (for anyone who is religious). After we finished praying, there's a mass exodus in the streets of everybody within a 1 mile radius of your mosque walking back home. When you get home, the fine china is out and there's a beautiful spread ready for breakfast. Everybody starts travelling to neighbors, relatives and friends' houses to wish each other and ask for forgiveness if they have done any wrong. It's just a really great atmosphere and feeling in the air and the good vibes reverberate from everywhere and from everyone. After neighbors and immediate family finished visiting at our house, we went to meet my host mother's cousins, aunts and uncles. After spending some time there, we all went together to pay our respects to those who have past in their family at the cemetery. Both of my host mother's parents have passed and she's the oldest so she is the matriarch in her immediate family. They read al-Quran together as they sat upon the elaborately tiled tombs and afterwards spread flower petals. Then we spent the rest of the day into the afternoon at a relative's home.
I'm not sure how to verbalize Idul Fitri other than that it was a purely blissful day and one that at this point in my culture shock timeline was the best mode of inspiration. It uplifted my spirits in a way that I forgot how happy I could be, I have been content but today I was genuinely happy, meeting everyone and participating in this beautiful day of Eid al-Fitr.
Anyway, getting back on track. After everyone's looking fly, there's a mass crowd at the mosque ready to ring in Idul Fitri with a good sholat. There's a partition to separate the men from the women, and in order to partake in prayer you MUST be clean, thus for women on their period they are not allowed to participate in praying or if during Ramadan, fasting. I have a much different outlook to getting my period during Ramadan because it was the time when I could eat on my own time and not have to wake up before the crack of dawn; but I've noticed that for many of the women when they have their period there is a sense of guilt that they cannot participate and honestly, when I had my period and everyone else was fasting half the time I didn't even feel like eating, but then I ate because I'm not allowed to fast even by accident. Fasting is one of the holiest things you can do.
This morning, my host mother realized that it was her time of the month and the sadness on her face to miss this moment of praying with everyone was really sad, it's like not being allowed or forbidden to attend mass on Christmas (for anyone who is religious). After we finished praying, there's a mass exodus in the streets of everybody within a 1 mile radius of your mosque walking back home. When you get home, the fine china is out and there's a beautiful spread ready for breakfast. Everybody starts travelling to neighbors, relatives and friends' houses to wish each other and ask for forgiveness if they have done any wrong. It's just a really great atmosphere and feeling in the air and the good vibes reverberate from everywhere and from everyone. After neighbors and immediate family finished visiting at our house, we went to meet my host mother's cousins, aunts and uncles. After spending some time there, we all went together to pay our respects to those who have past in their family at the cemetery. Both of my host mother's parents have passed and she's the oldest so she is the matriarch in her immediate family. They read al-Quran together as they sat upon the elaborately tiled tombs and afterwards spread flower petals. Then we spent the rest of the day into the afternoon at a relative's home.
I'm not sure how to verbalize Idul Fitri other than that it was a purely blissful day and one that at this point in my culture shock timeline was the best mode of inspiration. It uplifted my spirits in a way that I forgot how happy I could be, I have been content but today I was genuinely happy, meeting everyone and participating in this beautiful day of Eid al-Fitr.
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