Celebrations Across the Archipelago Mark Islamic New Year 1448 Hijriah

Muslims across Indonesia welcomed the Islamic New Year 1 Muharram 1448 Hijriah with a diverse array of religious, cultural, and traditional activities. In Kediri, East Java, thousands of worshippers from the Lirboyo Islamic Boarding School and the general public participated in an istighotsah and communal prayer organised by the city government. The event, which began with a congregational Maghrib prayer, was held as an expression of gratitude and a hope for a better life in the coming year.

In Cibinong, Bogor Regency, and in the Cilandak area of South Jakarta, residents took to the streets for torchlight parades involving hundreds of participants to celebrate the new Hijri year. Meanwhile, in Padang, West Sumatra, a tauhid parade was held from the Nurul Iman Grand Mosque to the Syekh Ahmad Khatib Al Minangkabawi Grand Mosque as part of the Islamic New Year observances.

Local traditions also featured prominently in the 1 Muharram celebrations. In Traji Village, Temanggung, Central Java, thousands of residents gathered for the Satu Suro night tradition, scrambling for a mountain of palawija crops in a ritual expressing gratitude for abundant water sources and seeking blessings for prosperity and success in the year ahead. In Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, a cultural parade saw hundreds of participants, from children to adults, donning costumes made from plastic waste to mark the occasion.

The spirit of the new year also reached young students, with elementary school children in Kediri taking part in a taaruf parade. They chanted shalawat and carried educational posters aimed at introducing the Hijri calendar to the younger generation.