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View all search resultsIndonesian Muslims make sacrifices to celebrate Idul Adha amid pandemic
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M
illions of Muslims in Indonesia observed this year's Idul Adha (Day of Sacrifice) under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic as health protocols limited the scale of festivities. But those who took part in the celebration said they could still find solace in the holiday, either with or without their families.
Private sector employee Nadia Khairani works in Jakarta. She decided to travel to Bandung, West Java, to spend Idul Adha, which fell on Friday, with her family.
It was the first time she had returned to her hometown since COVID-19 cases were detected in the country in March. The central government and the Jakarta administration had lifted travel bans that were previously in place during the Idul Fitri holiday in May.
She left with her husband on Thursday night in a private car and spent three hours stuck in gridlock on the Jakarta-Cikampek elevated toll road during what authorities said was the peak of the holiday exodus.
Despite the heavy traffic, the 27-year-old said she enjoyed the small gathering she had with her family. "I did not attend the Idul Adha prayer in the morning. I ate lontong [rice cake] at my mom's house and went to my in-laws’ house to eat lamb satay. It's just as usual."
Like Nadia, 25-year-old Dyah Rahmatika decided to go home. She traveled to Yogyakarta from South Tangerang because she did not want to celebrate Idul Adha alone.
“I couldn’t make it home during Idul Fitri because of the mudik [exodus] ban. Now that flights have resumed and I can’t stand the lonely feeling anymore, I’ve decided to go home,” the private sector employee said on Friday.
