Airlangga: Eid Al-Fitr maintains unity ahead of the 2024 General Election

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The General Chair of the Golkar Party DPP Airlangga Hartarto said Eid Al-Fitr 1443 Hijriah is a momentum to maintain cohesiveness and unity within the party ahead of the 2024 Simultaneous General Elections.

"For Golkar Party cadres, increase solidity and cohesiveness. We are consolidating the party, making our determination to win in the 2024 Legislative and Presidential Elections, by working hard to convince the public," Airlangga said after holding the Eid prayer at the Ainul Hikmah Mosque, Golkar Party DPP Office, Jakarta, Monday.

He also stressed the importance of maintaining internal unity and integrity within the Golkar Party and society.

"We must maintain unity, this is important for the future this momentum can strengthen unity, by not hurting the community, neighbors and families, especially fellow Golkar cadres," he said.

He is grateful that the Eid Al-Fitr 1443 Hijri prayer can be held in mosques, prayer rooms, and open fields. Indonesian people can also perform the Eid al-Fitr prayer in congregation and close the rows of rows.

"We can meet face to face with friends, relatives, neighbors and the surrounding environment," he explained.

Towards Eid al-Fitr, he continued, people want to release their longing to stay in touch with their hometown by carrying out homecoming trips in a smooth and orderly manner. The homecomers gather with their relatives in their hometown full of joy, joy, and friendship after two years of not seeing each other.

"We should be grateful for this because the control and handling of COVID-19 in our country is much better, so that we can celebrate Lebaran, Eid al-Fitr, and going home as we feel now. Of course, we still urge all of us to keep health protocols, especially by wearing masks to protect us," he said.

Also present at the Eid prayer at the Golkar Party's DPP Office were the Chairman of the Honorary Council Akbar Tanjung, Secretary General Lodewijk F. Paulus, General Treasurer Dito Ganinduto, Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, Chairman of Commission II DPR Ahmad Doli Kurnia, Head of Religious Affairs TB Ace Hasan Syadzily, AMPG General Chair Ilham Permana, and DPP Chairman Muhidin M. Said.

Traces of the tradition of delivery from the kingdom to the present

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The culinary historian of Padjadjaran University Fadly Rahman said the traces of the tradition of sending Eid gifts can be traced to the moment of the harvest festival which took place during the 16th century kingdom. 

"Eid delivery, which is currently popular among the Indonesian people, is a form of transformation from the tradition of delivering agricultural products that are offered by the people to the king and then from the king to his people," Fadly said to Antara, Monday.

Fadly explained that during the royal period, there was a tradition of people delivering crops to the king.

"And when the king holds a harvest party, usually he will provide processed products and various kinds of food and cakes, which will be brought home by his own people," said Fadly 

brothers and sisters, as well as friends that have occurred to the present day.

During the colonial period, reciprocating Eid gifts had also emerged among families. The delivery is in the form of various types of main dishes typical of Lebaran such as ketupat, opor, curry, and rendang as well as traditional wet cakes served in a basket.

Fadly said that the delivery tradition in the form of an exchange of baskets shows the uniqueness of an agrarian society. In addition to functioning as a container for provisions, socio-culturally, the basket has a symbolic meaning as a glue for relations between neighbors or relatives when used for delivery.

"When it is sent in the form of a basket, we will spontaneously reply. 'Ah, shame if we return it empty'. Then we will fill it back with food," he said.

During the colonial period, pastries such as nastar, kastangel, cat's tongue, and snow white in jar packaging became known and became Eid gifts given by European families to indigenous priyayi families.

In its development, now the delivery has been transformed in the form of hampersand parcels with more modern packaging. Although the form has changed, Fadly said the essence and meaning of the delivery have not changed significantly.

But nowadays, said Fadly, many people send gifts as a sign of gratitude or holiday greetings from colleagues without expecting a reply or without exchanging them. This happens in line with the shift in delivery that has been commercialized or used as a business area.