Joy of Yesterdays #05: Ramadhan and Raya

the neighborhood during Raya, 2025

I guess every muslim has their own stories about Ramadhan and Raya. I know mine seems so ordinary, but having Ramadhan in a country where the majority of people are muslim serves us many excellent points. 

Ramadhan is not only special because of the religious beliefs; I took it so personally because the vibes and cultural heritage of Indonesia also contributed to the overall experience. Takjil bazaars, where people sell foods and snacks, can even be found in the smallest alleys. Sahur calls in the neighborhood. Taraweeh prayers, which are usually really testing my discipline. And all the time, there are just so many things to see and indulge in. 

Depok, 2025

I specifically want to talk about the Bukber tradition in Indonesia. Bukber stands for Buka bersama or basically, an iftar gathering, where we go out to have iftar together. The difference between Bukber and regular iftar we have at home is that Bukber should always take place as an outing, while the act of iftar itself is still done together. So you can have iftar with your dorm friends or your family together in your home or your usual settings, but it doesn’t mean you’re having a Bukber. Bukber is so familiar that everyone starts to plan and mark their calendar to fit with every setting they have. I really think it’s quite fun, considering there are so many promos and discounts out there for iftar bundling packages that could make you drool. It’s also just fun to live the vibe of Ramadan with your surroundings. 

had to bring this matching situation in a bukber function

But I do think that Bukber these days is quite sugarcoated. Even though it costs me a lot to go in just one Bukber, and personally, the energy spent was just extra, I got super tired after. And the one that I clearly feel unfortunate was the idea of not doing Taraweeh right after the gathering. Because most of the time, it’s not possible to spare time right after Isya. I mean, we could do the prayer right after the gathering, which probably ends around 8 PM, but, cmon, I know us like I know myself that it would most likely be unlikely we pray right after we get back home. It’s just too good to be true, and it sometimes serves me like a broken promise I made to myself. I know it’s a sunnah, but growing up doing it every night after Isya made me feel weird not doing it now. These gatherings are like a blessing in disguise, where they trembled my already unsteady path and made it harder to make the most out of the special month. Therefore, I decided that the next Ramadhan (if I will meet Ramadhan again, In Shaa Allah), I will take it seriously and won’t let myself be drowned in those Bukber rituals that cost me more than my actual weekly allowance.

There is much to see throughout the month. Food!!! 

Food was definitely everywhere!!! literally. Alongside the small street, take a trip to small alleys and you would find local families selling snacks and homemade beverages in a small tank or jug with the simplest price tag known to humankind-‘thai tea 5.000’ scribbled roughly with a pencil on a piece of cardboard hung or put on the table. 

I and Salma went to this small bazaar near our kosan. We used to go for a little running session in the afternoon, 2 hours before iftar, in a local field. Right after that would be cruising around the bazaar or the street to find something to chew on after iftar. 

Depok, 2025

Another thing about it is probably cooking with my mom and my sisters back in Batam. Preparing takjil is usually as hard as it is with daily meals. At least that's how it is with my mom; she could go crazy over the discussion of these topics. But back in Batam, this is the time where she explores, and I feel like we were taking some daily quests every single day with me and my sisters on her wings. We do have this small quest of dropping off some takjil near the local mosque as a part of the daily quest. We sometimes have side quests like eating dinner late after taraweeh, which happens to be my most-awaited part of the day. 

My mom made this banana steam bread this year

My first ever ketupat, of course, with the interruption of moyo

And Raya...or Lebaran...

Batam, 2025

There's clearly not much to say about it other than 'new'. It feels like there's always something new during Lebaran every year-I mean, other than new shoes and new outfits, duh. I mean, the people, their looks, trendy cookies, neighbor, and every other thing. But one thing stays the same... Raya is in a nearby mosque. It's just sooo unspecial yet so special because I don't even know why that's the first destination my parents head to every single year. I'm not so sure when it started first...but it has been a tradition where our small group in the neighborhood gathers there for the first time after the morning prayer. We also use the opportunity to visit my late twin sister and spend some time there. Stroll the city to visit my parents' friends. Oh! I almost forgot the part where my sisters and I should converse with guests, that sometimes we pretend to know :). 

Batam, 2025

In the neighborhood, 2025

But it's fun tho, getting in touch with people once a year just to keep the bond going. It's actually kinda sweet...I haven't done any research about this, but I guess this 'going to people's house' kinda only happens here in Indonesia. I mean, muslims out there probably visit their colleagues and family or friends, and there are cultures and traditions, but I guess nobody does it like Indonesians do it here...Or maybe it's just because of the mass...we are everywhere here, and the actual celebration escalates into quadruple times merrier.

Our family also gets to meet my late twin sister. We pray, clean her place, and water her place under the stinging sun. 

Batam, 2025

During Raya, my mom always cooks something special. Traditionally in Indonesia, we usually serve rich, hearty dishes like opor, rendang, and other meals with coconut milk. These days, people have adapted too, sometimes serving bakso or even pempek. This year, my mom came up with a truly lethal combination:

Opor ayam, tauco, sambal tahu

Of course, no celebration is complete without cookies and sweets. Nastar and kaastengels are staples in almost every home. I’ll share the pictures below.

Cookies, crackers, sweets, snacks, jellies, candies, DEVOURED

an alley to the mosque

Things changed, and it's true. Ramadhan in my elementary school era and Ramadhan 5 years ago were already different. I hate to admit it, but I wish it had never changed... I won the Anak Sholeh award once, which no longer exists this time around. It was a daily award where they announced the most disciplined and obedient kid during taraweeh in a nearby mosque. The prize is a textbook, a pencil, and a voucher to redeem a box of gethuk or klepon, anything of my choice in a local SME that was quite popular in the area...Sure, they were successful merging business and deed during Ramadhan, I guess. But the point is... that's just sad, not having it anymore in the same mosque I grew up with. Not to mention how the mosque is no longer full of children and teenagers. I'm not sure if we've all grown up already or if there are just no children and teenagers going to taraweeh anymore???:( Now that's just mad heartbreak, isn't it??? 

tarawih with my sister

Also, growing up, I always thought that we needed to fast in Ramadhan, as if not doing it would cause me trouble instantly. But now that I've grown up, I notice it's just how the adults put the lenses in our eyes. I mean, it's wajib/obligatory if we're talking about fiqih, but I swear some people around me don't even take it seriously. Even when they have to qada the fast in the future, some don't really do it. It surprised me once and twice, but also... not trying to normalize, but just... well...who am I to judge... (I just did)

I'm sure I've put so many stories in here already to show how these small bits of a year could mean so much to me. 

 I wait for it and I could only pray that we all will be reunited again with Ramadhan next year, and the next one too, and next one too, next one too, again next to the next to the next to the next to the next year, FOREVER possibly.

Now say it in unison

~~~AAMIIN~~~

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PS: This has been on my draft since July lol, not even sure if I still have something to show up here (I did some doomscrolling and found something), hope you enjoy :)