The National Monument (Monas) complex saw a larger and merrier crowd on Sunday morning as thousands of Jakartans, many dressed in traditional Betawi clothes, attended the final day of the 2019 Lebaran Betawi celebration.

One enormous stage stood near the monument building and six other smaller stages took up the complex’s southern area. Near every stage stood temporary traditional Betawi houses representing the city administration, the capital’s five municipalities and one regency.

Traditional art performances entertained visitors who walked from one house to another in search of free food. Dozens of bright ondel-ondel (giant Betawi effigies) were scattered across the complex, acting as welcoming hosts.

“Thank God, we were able to hold the 12th annual Lebaran Betawi. This event strengthens the bond among Jakartans of Betawi descent and the rest of the city’s [residents],” said Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan.

The festivities continued with the antaran tradition, which saw the five mayors and one regent of Jakarta come out of their respective traditional houses to visit the governor’s house.

The six leaders acted as “children” of the city administration, while Anies was “the parent”. This symbolized the obligation of the younger generations to respect their elders by paying them a visit and bringing gifts.

These gifts comprise traditional Betawi dishes such as gabus pucung (snakehead fish soup), roti buaya (crocodile-shaped bread), semur jengkol (dogfruit stew), oblok bebek (duck cooked in chili sauce) and kerak telor (Betawi style omelet).

They also brought traditional dessert like selendang mayang, cookies like kembang goyang (flower-shaped crackers) and tape uli (fudge cake and fermented sweets made from sticky rice).

In return, Anies visited the house of each mayor and regency, as well as a row of booths attended by district officials from every administration, illustrating the care and attention parents give their children.

This year’s three-day Lebaran Betawi, which started on Friday, was the first to feature a sorendo-rendo (cultural carnival).

The event also had art performances such as gambang kromong (traditional Betawi music show), lenong (comedy skit) and traditional dances, as well as palang pintu (door-bolting tradition) and pencak silat.

The first Lebaran Betawi in 2008 was held in Lapangan Banteng, Central Jakarta, and for the next five years, it would take place at different locations.

In 2013, for the first time ever, the celebration was moved to Monas. From 2014 to 2016, it went back to being held at Lapangan Banteng, before moving to a cultural village in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, in 2017 and 2018.

This year, according to Anies, he and the leaders of the Betawi Consultative Body (Bamus) agreed to bring Lebaran Betawi back to the center of the city,  Monas.

Regardless of the blazing hot sun, thousands of visitors were excited to be part of the festivities. A crowd followed Anies everywhere he went; some were happy just to see the governor in person while many others asked to take selfies with him.

Among those asking for a selfie was Ratna Irawati, her husband and their 4-year-old daughter, who live in Senin, Central Jakarta. Unlike Monas visitors on a regular Sunday morning who mostly dress in sports attire, Ratna and her family chose to wear traditional Betawi clothes.

She herself wore a bright kebaya encim and hijab, while her daughter wore similar clothes and had her curly hair tied in a ponytail. Ratna’s husband, meanwhile, wore a baju koko (collarless, long-sleeved shirt), sarong and peci (traditional cap).

“I live near here. I came here to see Pak Anies. I’m a big fan of him,” Ratna said.

Another visitor, Bheje, arrived with dozens of members of the Perkumpulan Betawi (PB) community from Pulogadung, East Jakarta, of which he is also a member. He wore a long-sleeved black T-shirt with the PB logo.

Bheje said Lebaran Betawi was a celebration he looked forward to each year because it aimed to gather residents of Betawi descent from across Greater Jakarta.

“We attend Lebaran Jakarta every year. This is the time of year when we can meet our relatives from all across Jakarta and all the way from the Thousand Islands, including from [satellite cities] Bekasi, Tangerang and Depok,” he said.

“We will definitely come again next year. I hope it will still be held here [in Monas].”

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