The meaning of 'Lebaran'

The meaning of 'Lebaran'

Although Idul Fitri -- the end of the holy month of Ramadhan -- is still more than three weeks away, President Soeharto's directive to government officials this week to make sure that private business employees are paid their holiday allowances well before the holiday arrives comes none to soon.

"Give workers an opportunity to perform their fast in peace. Don't let employers pay their workers only after demands for the allowances are made. It would be expedient to announce the date of payment now and the sum should be in accordance to the existing regulations," Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief quoted the Head of State as saying.

Too many employers, however, seem to still be taking the view that Idul Fitri, or Lebaran, is a waste of valuable time and money and certainly not worth spending so much money on. It is because of this conflict in perception that employee's demands for payment of these annual Lebaran allowances have in the past frequently been a source of friction and open dispute between workers and their employers. And it was to avert such frictions that the government last year issued a regulation that requires private companies to pay their workers the Lebaran allowance they are due, the sum of which, obviously, depends on the company's financial capabilities.

Various theories have been offered to point out the economic cost -- or the economic benefits, depending on one's point of view -- of Lebaran. Obviously, workdays are lost. On the other hand there are those who argue that the tradition helps spread wealth and income from the cities to the rural areas. Whatever the case, given the major importance of Lebaran to the masses of Indonesians, it seems only reasonable that attention be paid to the financial needs of those who celebrate this great national and religious holiday.

Lebaran in Indonesia is an event that defies comparison with any other religious holiday we know of, anywhere -- or even with Idul Fitri in, say, the Arab countries, where Islam originated. As for the importance which Indonesian Moslems attach to Lebaran, this will be obvious to anyone who has lived in Indonesia for some time. In about three weeks time, or maybe even less, the annual mass exodus from the big cities such as Jakarta will begin.

For by far the majority of Indonesians it is an absolute necessity for people, especially the younger ones, to spend Lebaran with their parents and closest kin. This is done to share the joy and significance of the message of Ramadhan and to ask others, the elders in particular, for forgiveness for any wrongs committed in the past year.

Masses of people will once again be pushing and jostling each to get on the buses and trains that will take them to their home towns or villages in the provinces.

On the day of Lebaran, which this year is expected to coincide with March 2, and for more than a week thereafter motorized traffic on Jakarta's streets will be so parse as to make the city almost unrecognizable. Many households will have to make do without servants and many market stalls will be closed for weeks.

Of course, one might wonder why Indonesians place so much importance on this Moslem holiday. After all, there is no requirement for Moslems to visit their kin and ask elders for their forgiveness for wrongs committed throughout the year on that particular holiday. And any tradition comparable to the Lebaran holiday in Indonesia is unknown in the Arab countries, in other countries of the Middle East and in the Islamic countries of northern Africa.

The reason is that religious and ancestral traditions are blended in the celebration of Idul Fitri in Indonesia. Of course, the fact that the great majority of Indonesians are Moslems accounts for the huge celebrations. But also, as long as parents and elders are accorded the honor and respect they have enjoyed for ages in Indonesia, the Lebaran tradition as it is known at present is sure to survive.