Ramadhan is back, the month where Muslims abstain from food and drink among other things, from dawn until dusk
em>Ramadhan is back, the month where Muslims abstain from food and drink among other things, from dawn until dusk.
The month, besides being famous for its massive annual Idul Fitri exodus when Muslims ' mainly in Jakarta ' return to their hometowns, it also offers unique events that people can only experience during this period.
The Jakarta Post brings you some of them. Here they are:
'Pasar Tumpah'
Pasar tumpah, or spilled markets, pop-up every Ramadhan in several places across the capital.
Like spilled milk, the name suggests that the markets can be anywhere and are unpredictable. Vendors usually set up their shops at the sides of roads as sunset approaches.
They sell traditional Ramadhan delicacies including kolak (banana stewed in coconut milk with brown sugar), dates and cold drinks.
The mushrooming existence of pasar tumpah all over the city captures the attention of the city police and transportation agency as they obstruct traffic.
The massive number of vendors are located in areas such as Bendungan Hilir in Central Jakarta.
To suppress the number, Governor Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo recently called on district and subdistrict heads to open their offices for citizens to break fast there.
'Sahur' on the road
As Ramadhan is considered a holy month, many Muslims in Jakarta attempt to up their good deeds. One of the ways they do this is by passing out free meals for sahur (pre-dawn meals) to the homeless around the city.
Traditionally, a group of people from one community gather in one place before eventually roaming around to find spots where homeless people gather.
However, sahur on the road also raises the potential for illegal racing.
In 2011, two teenage girls were killed in a car accident after participating in sahur convoys held annually by their school, in South Jakarta.
Shopping spree
Shopping malls are always more crowded than usual during Ramadhan as people gear up for Idul Fitri, taking advantage of huge discounts at stores.
Some big malls even hold midnight sale toward the end of the fasting month to accommodate last minute shoppers looking for new clothes or praying mats.
For many, Lebaran is often associated with new and special clothes as well as stocking up on staple foods to serve guests.
As consumption is high during the fasting month, employers are obliged to provide holiday bonuses amounting to one-month's salary.
'Mini' reunions
People usually receive invitations to get together with old friends and colleagues during the month. Otherwise busy people reach out to one another and make plans to break fast together.
Muslims use Ramadhan as an opportunity to strengthen silaturahmi (communal togetherness) with their community. It is also common to see followers of different faiths joining iftar, or breaking-of-the-fast.
However, bad traffic in the late afternoon often limits meeting point options, which is why many people often end up at restaurants at shopping malls.
Rush hour shift
To accommodate those fasting and holding tarawih (extra prayer service) at their homes, office hours are commonly adjusted to end an hour earlier. As a result, the peak traffic hour moves forward to around 4 p.m.
The Jakarta Police recorded that traffic usually eases at around 6 p.m., when Muslims break their fasts, and continues again at around 7 p.m. for another hour.
This sequence normally occurs in the first week of Ramadhan, as most people prefer breaking fast with their families at home.
Meanwhile, on the second week, Muslims rush to restaurants, while in the third week people fill the roads going to malls to shop for the Idul Fitri holidays. ' JP
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