TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Bananas, peanuts mark Gorontalo's unique Ramadan tradition
People across Gorontalo can be found making their way from their hometowns to celebrate the qunut evening in Batudaa field with Payungo residents.
Change Size
Panoramic view of Gorontalo's landscape. (JP/Irene Barlian)
F
rom the 16th night to the end of Ramadan, it is not uncommon to see Muslims in Payungo village in Gorontalo reciting qunut [non-obligatory prayer] while snacking on bananas and peanuts in a ritual known as the qunut evening (malam qunut).
People across Gorontalo can be found making their way from their hometowns to celebrate the qunut evening in Batudaa field with Payungo residents.
Banana and peanut sellers can be seen offering their products to visitors. Prices vary, from Rp 10,000 (less than US$1) to Rp 20,000 for bananas and Rp 15,000 for a kilogram of peanuts.
Husain Ismail, one of the sellers from Payungo village, said he had sold bananas and peanuts for the qunutevening since 1987.
“I don’t think about the profits, I'm only here to join the festivity,” the 64-year-old man said.
Aside from the aforementioned foods, people can also enjoy traditional dishes such asnasi bulu (steamed rice with coconut milk cooked inside bamboo) and chicken skewers. There is also a children's playground and tents for raffles.
Read also: Gorontalo park seeks to lure more tourists with new sky bike ride
Sakinah Marukay, a 26-year-old from West Limboto, said she always attended the qunut evening celebration every year.
“I didn’t come here to eat peanuts and bananas. I can do that at home. I came here because I want to join the festivity and introduce the tradition to my children,” Sakinah said on Monday.
According to local figure Samsuddin Muhammad, this ritual has been celebrated since 1901. During that time, people from around the island came to the village to celebrate the qunut evening.
Before praying, they perform ablution in the mosque’s well. They then purchase bananas and peanuts to eat after praying.
“There were only two sellers at that time, Koro and Sede. When I was a child, I often heard the phrase ‘kaca li Koro’ [Koro’s peanuts],” he said.
Bananas and peanuts are popular snacks among people living in Gorontalo.
Seeing that the qunut evening in Batudaa always attracts a lot of visitors, Gorontalo Regent Nelson Pomalingo is planning to make the ritual an annual tourist event.
“I will propose this idea to the tourism agency,” he said on Monday. (dpk/kes)
