Dwi Dharmawanti, 24, from Pasanggaran in Banyuwangi regency, East Java, was busy distributing kupat (rice boiled inside plaited young coconut leaves) among her Hindu neighbors during the Kupatan tradition on Saturday.

The tradition is held on the seventh day after Idul Fitri, which fell on June 25 this year.

Dwi said that during Kupatan, kupat are distributed to both Muslim and non-Muslim members of the community.

“Sharing kupat with all our neighbors regardless of their religion has been a tradition here,” Dwi said.

She added that in the past, kupat were not directly distributed to neighbors’ houses, but they were first collected in the local mushola (Islamic prayer room) to be blessed before being distributed. Only kupat for non-Muslim neighbors were directly distributed to their respective houses.

Traditional Javanese communities recognize two Idul Fitri celebrations. The first is celebrated on the first day of Syawal according to the Javanese calendar and the second is Bakda Kupat, celebrated on the eighth day of Syawal, or seven days after Idul Fitri.

The Kupatan tradition itself is believed to be first introduced by Sunan Kalijaga, a noted Muslim preacher in Java during Islam’s early development on the island. Kupatan has become a symbol of Idul Fitri celebrations for Muslims in Java since the Demak Kingdom era in the early 15th century.

Kupat, or ketupat, is considered to have various meanings. Some say the word is an abbreviation of kulo lepat (I am guilty), on account that ketupat is always served during Idul Fitri, or Lebaran, to symbolize the day for mutual forgiveness.

Diana Kristiani, 23, a Hindu, said that Kupatan was also celebrated among the Hindu community in Pasanggaran subdistrict, although it did not belong to the Hindu tradition. She said it was just to repay the gesture from Muslim neighbors.

“We used to have the Kupatan tradition here on the sixth or seventh day after the Hindu Day of Silence by distributing ketupat and some side dishes to our neighbors,” Diana said.

She added that when they wanted to include chicken in the menu, as a sign of respect, they sometimes asked their Muslim neighbors to do the slaughtering in the halal way.

“This has been a legacy in our subdistrict to create harmony and tolerance among its people,” she said

In Surakarta, Central Java, the Bakda Kupat tradition has been a boon for many traders who sell ketupat in traditional markets.

This is the time for them to enjoy profits of up to three times larger than that of normal days of trading ketupat.

Warsini, 61, a seller of ketupat containers in Pasar Legi, Surakarta, said she could sell up to 2,000 pieces a day ahead of Bakda Kupat. She sells a bunch of 10 ketupat containers for Rp 10,000 (75 US cents) to Rp 15,000.

“Business has been good since yesterday. I brought 2,000 pieces of ketupat containers today and they all have been sold out since noon,” Warsini said on Friday.

From the sale, she said, she could enjoy a profit of Rp 600,000 to Rp 750,000 a day.

Warsini usually sells flowers, but ahead of Bakda Kupat she switches to selling ketupat containers. She said she got the coconut leaves to make the containers from her home village in Simo subdistrict, Boyolali regency, Central Java.

“Alhamdulillah [All Praises to Allah], my merchandise is always sold out,” she said.

Suliyem, 60, a seasonal ketupat trader in Pasar Kembang, Surakarta, told the same success story, saying she could sell 1,000 ketupat containers a day.

“I only sell ketupat containers for two days, Thursday and Friday, because I have to join the Bakda Kupat tradition in my own home village,” said Suliyem, who hails from Karangpandan, Karanganyar, Central Java.

For buyer Anissa, ready-to-use ketupat containers are a welcome option ahead of the busy Idul Fitri celebrations.

“It’s not easy to make them by yourself if you are not used to doing it. Buying them is much more practical,” she added.

In Kendal, another regency in Central Java, hundreds of Kaliwungu residents gathered on Sunday morning to celebrate the Syawal month by eating ketupat together in a massive potluck held near the Kaliwungu district’s office.

“We have maintained this tradition for years,” said Subaidi, one of the residents participating in the event.

Not only in Java, hundreds of Muslims living in Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), also observed a similar tradition for the Syawal month.

This year, NTB’s tourism agency supported the tradition by holding an event called “Pesona Topat Mentaram 2017” (The Beauty of Ketupat), which took place at Tanjung Karang beach in Mataram.

— Suherdjoko and Panca Nugraha contributed from Kendal and Mataram

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