Between Cultural and Spiritual Homecoming
The Ministry of Transport estimates that the number of people returning to their hometowns for Eid al-Fitr this year will reach 143.91 million (50.6% of the nation’s population). Migrants begin travelling from cities back to their villages of origin, with some coming from countries that have traditionally been destinations for migrant workers.
According to observations by André Moller in “Ramadan in Java: The Joy and Jihad of Ritual Fasting” (2005), the phenomenon of returning to one’s hometown represents a unique religious activity in the Indonesian archipelago. Few nations celebrate Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr with such vibrant and diverse traditions.
Homecoming aims to celebrate Eid al-Fitr with beloved family members in one’s village of origin. The question arises: what motivates migrants to undertake such journeys from their places of work, given the significant expenses, time investment, and physical hardship involved?
UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL HOMECOMING
According to the Indonesian Language Dictionary, “mudik” derives from “udik,” meaning village or settlement, and also refers to the source of a river—the place from which all water flows. From this definition, homecoming is understood as a return to one’s place of origin to recall the past and one’s early life in the village.
Many cherish beautiful memories from their hometowns—time spent with family, relatives, schoolmates, and childhood friends. These fond memories inspire the various activities undertaken during homecoming. Significantly, the mudik phenomenon has become a cross-ethnic and cross-religious cultural practice. Migrants from diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds have made homecoming an annual ritual.
The homecoming culture transcends socioeconomic backgrounds. Migrants believe that returning to their hometowns is deeply meaningful for their lives. They experience positive energy upon returning to their villages, which provides encouragement for their return to the cities for work.
Various motivations accompany the migrants: nostalgia for their hometowns, respect for parents, maintaining kinship bonds, visiting graves of deceased family members, reunions with friends, and the desire to share with others. It is customary for migrants to give Eid gifts to family and neighbours—a valuable lesson in practicing religious giving, the principle that giving is better than receiving. Yet many migrants struggle financially, earning meagre and unstable wages, and some have lost employment through retrenchment. However, the hardships faced in cities seem to fade upon arrival at the hometown. The natural atmosphere of the village provides temporary solace, and migrants visibly enjoy their surroundings, their happiness and sincerity evident on their faces.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SPIRITUAL HOMECOMING
Beyond the cultural homecoming preceding Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, the Qur’an also metaphorically commands spiritual homecoming—returning to God’s mercy. The Qur’an states: “And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden [of Paradise] as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the righteous” (Quran 3:133). This divine command encourages believers to return to God’s forgiveness, an act that should be performed constantly, not merely before Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.
In Javanese philosophical and mystical literature, the command for spiritual homecoming relates to the teachings of sangkan-paraning hurip (the origin and purpose of life) and sangkan-paraning dumadi (the origin and purpose of all creation). Javanese Sufi philosophy teaches that God is both the origin and ultimate destination of life. This means each person must understand their origin, purpose in this world, and final destination.
Spiritual homecoming is thus understood as the recognition that all of us belong to God and shall return to God. In Islamic perspective, this teaching aligns with the belief that “indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return” (Quran 2:156). Just as we were born in a state of purity, upon returning to God we should be among those who return in their original state of purity.
Through cultural homecoming, we learn how migrants embody the message of fasting in concrete form. They teach the importance of sharing with others through gifts, clothing, food, and Eid presents. They also demonstrate kinship and mutual visitation as an expression of the compassion that fasting teaches. Meanwhile, for spiritual homecoming, we should grasp the substantive message of Eid al-Fitr, which emphasises the importance of increased devotion to God. This aligns with the teaching that “the essence of Eid is not in new clothes, but in the increase of piety.”
Whilst cultural homecoming requires preparing abundant provisions for the journey to one’s hometown, spiritual homecoming to the eternal abode requires commitment to continually return to God’s forgiveness and increase in piety.