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Ramadan festivities return as most curbs eased to pre-pandemic levels
Indonesia’s many Muslims rejoice as the government relaxes most pandemic-era restrictions to allow for the annual mudik exodus to take place, the first in two years.
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Muslims visit a mosque to break their fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in Yogyakarta, on April 7, 2022. (AFP/Devi Rahman)
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fter two years of celebrating the Islamic holy month of Ramadan under rigid COVID-19 restrictions, millions of Muslims in Indonesia began enjoying the fasting month under “normal” conditions last week, with authorities easing curbs to almost pre-pandemic levels.
Compared with the past two years, Anang Riswanta, 29, from Sukoharjo, Central Java, said he was able to experience a “more joyful and comfortable Ramadan”.
“Concerns about COVID-19 transmission are no longer top of the mind for my family, as the number of infections continues to drop,” Anang told The Jakarta Post on Friday. “This has allowed us to be more focused on our fasting and worship for the holy month.”
Both he and his wife have received three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, the farming professional said.
The Ramadan festivities have also become much more pronounced in his village this year, Anang added, as the community recently decided to resume its tradition of buka bersama, the annual breaking-of-the-fast gatherings.
He also said he could take part in daily mass prayers at the local mosque, including tarawih (Ramadan evening prayers), sometimes even with his one-year-old son in tow. Last year, he rarely joined the ritual for fear of contracting COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Ridwan Al Aziz, a 25-year-old teacher residing in Bogor, West Java, said that this year’s Ramadan was particularly special for him, as he planned to spend two weeks of fasting and the Idul Fitri holiday at home with his parents in Kebumen, Central Java.
