The Sacrifices Made by Jakarta Residents for Eid Homecoming: Spending Holiday Bonuses and Years of Savings
JAKARTA — Behind the joy of Muslim communities welcoming Eid lies the struggle of Jakarta residents attempting to return to their hometowns for celebrations.
Financial limitations and soaring transport ticket prices have not deterred them from their determination to reunite with family. Fajar (25), a resident of Kembangan in West Jakarta, was delighted to finally return home to Madiun, East Java, after three years away due to economic difficulties.
Fajar’s financial circumstances had deteriorated after he became a victim of redundancy last year, just before Eid 2025. “The last time I went home was a long time ago, it’s been three years,” Fajar said when met at Kalideres Terminal in West Jakarta on Tuesday, 17 March 2026. “It’s because the economy has been difficult.”
His fortunes have since changed. Fajar secured new employment and allocated his entire annual holiday bonus (Tunjangan Hari Raya) worth 4 million rupiah to purchase round-trip bus tickets for himself, his parents, and his younger sibling.
Fajar was willing to spend his entire bonus to satisfy his longing for his homeland. “When people make the homecoming journey, they clearly make financial sacrifices. Because the economy is difficult and everything is expensive. But thank God I received my bonus last month and immediately used it to buy round-trip tickets,” he said.
He hopes Indonesia’s economic conditions improve, including through more affordable Eid transport fares for the public. “My hope is that the economy improves, so prices become more affordable and people don’t have to struggle to buy homecoming tickets. I hope ticket prices stabilise and aren’t too high, so it doesn’t burden travellers,” Fajar hoped.
This Eid season is particularly special for him as he is bringing his eight-month-old child home for the first time. However, the journey comes at considerable cost due to sharply increased bus ticket prices. Revita noted that bus fares have doubled, rising from approximately 250,000 rupiah to 510,000 rupiah per person.