The meaning of 'Lebaran'<\/p>\n
Although Idul Fitri -- the end of the holy month of Ramadhan
\n-- is still more than three weeks away, President Soeharto's
\ndirective to government officials this week to make sure that
\nprivate business employees are paid their holiday allowances well
\nbefore the holiday arrives comes none to soon.<\/p>\n
\"Give workers an opportunity to perform their fast in peace.
\nDon't let employers pay their workers only after demands for the
\nallowances are made. It would be expedient to announce the date
\nof payment now and the sum should be in accordance to the
\nexisting regulations,\" Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief quoted
\nthe Head of State as saying.<\/p>\n
Too many employers, however, seem to still be taking the view
\nthat Idul Fitri, or Lebaran, is a waste of valuable time and
\nmoney and certainly not worth spending so much money on. It is
\nbecause of this conflict in perception that employee's demands
\nfor payment of these annual Lebaran allowances have in the past
\nfrequently been a source of friction and open dispute between
\nworkers and their employers. And it was to avert such frictions
\nthat the government last year issued a regulation that requires
\nprivate companies to pay their workers the Lebaran allowance they
\nare due, the sum of which, obviously, depends on the company's
\nfinancial capabilities.<\/p>\n
Various theories have been offered to point out the economic
\ncost -- or the economic benefits, depending on one's point of
\nview -- of Lebaran. Obviously, workdays are lost. On the other
\nhand there are those who argue that the tradition helps spread
\nwealth and income from the cities to the rural areas. Whatever
\nthe case, given the major importance of Lebaran to the masses of
\nIndonesians, it seems only reasonable that attention be paid to
\nthe financial needs of those who celebrate this great national
\nand religious holiday.<\/p>\n
Lebaran in Indonesia is an event that defies comparison with
\nany other religious holiday we know of, anywhere -- or even with
\nIdul Fitri in, say, the Arab countries, where Islam originated.
\nAs for the importance which Indonesian Moslems attach to Lebaran,
\nthis will be obvious to anyone who has lived in Indonesia for
\nsome time. In about three weeks time, or maybe even less, the
\nannual mass exodus from the big cities such as Jakarta will
\nbegin.<\/p>\n
For by far the majority of Indonesians it is an absolute
\nnecessity for people, especially the younger ones, to spend
\nLebaran with their parents and closest kin. This is done to share
\nthe joy and significance of the message of Ramadhan and to ask
\nothers, the elders in particular, for forgiveness for any wrongs
\ncommitted in the past year.<\/p>\n
Masses of people will once again be pushing and jostling each
\nto get on the buses and trains that will take them to their home
\ntowns or villages in the provinces.<\/p>\n
On the day of Lebaran, which this year is expected to coincide
\nwith March 2, and for more than a week thereafter motorized
\ntraffic on Jakarta's streets will be so parse as to make the city
\nalmost unrecognizable. Many households will have to make do
\nwithout servants and many market stalls will be closed for weeks.<\/p>\n
Of course, one might wonder why Indonesians place so much
\nimportance on this Moslem holiday. After all, there is no
\nrequirement for Moslems to visit their kin and ask elders for
\ntheir forgiveness for wrongs committed throughout the year on
\nthat particular holiday. And any tradition comparable to the
\nLebaran holiday in Indonesia is unknown in the Arab countries, in
\nother countries of the Middle East and in the Islamic countries
\nof northern Africa.<\/p>\n
The reason is that religious and ancestral traditions are
\nblended in the celebration of Idul Fitri in Indonesia. Of course,
\nthe fact that the great majority of Indonesians are Moslems
\naccounts for the huge celebrations. But also, as long as parents
\nand elders are accorded the honor and respect they have enjoyed
\nfor ages in Indonesia, the Lebaran tradition as it is known at
\npresent is sure to survive.<\/p>",
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