During the Muslim month of Ramadan leading up to Hari Raya, it is mandatory for Muslims to fast from dawn to dusk. All Muslims except the young, old or infirm must fast. Muslims must also abstain from pleasures such as smoking cigarettes and sexual activities during the daylight of the fasting month.

Widely, markets, or 'Ramadan bazaars' are held in many areas around the country, where all sorts of food and kuih — traditional Malay delicacies — are sold for breaking fast or buka puasa. Hotels and restaurants have also exploited this situation to offer exorbitant Ramadan buffets. This practice of overindulging has been criticised by Muslim clerics, notably the mufti of the state of Kelantan

The main greeting used by Muslims in Malaysia and Singapore is "Selamat Hari Raya" which means "Happy Eid" in Malay. Another greeting is "maaf zahir dan batin" which translates loosely to "I seek forgiveness (from you) physically and spiritually", for Hari Raya is a time to reconcile and renew relationships with others


Despite some extreme posts thinking Indoneisa is becoming an Islamic state, most Indonesians are moderate some groups are deeply religious and some are open-minded spiritual to the faith; like me. Yeah you know this about me JoeRagan. Otherwise I hope fellow Indonesian and other non Muslim faiths and people would be welcomed to celebrate the feast Sept. 21


It is hard to follow it the ritual of puasa/fasting and praying/sholat growing up here. I am sure there are others like me here in the US, back in Indonesia and elsewhere around the world who could not follow the rituals, but still cling to the faith. I only fasted twice this past month. I pray on my own way, and my friends, girlfriend and sister knows I am not religious and still open to others. I grew up in a multi-racial, ethnic and religous school in NY. Are there others like me in Indonesia or are they scorned and influenced by the more religious Muslims, Iman, clerics in Indonesia?

^ Yea likewise homie G, have a Happy Auspicious Idul Fitri and blessed Ramadan to you and everybody else here too.
Agree for some ppl Ramadan has become a month of food wasting extravaganza forgetting that many of our not so distant neighbors go hungry most of the time and prolly never have decent meals in the longest time.

And here I found a couple years old article about a NY Elmhurst Catholic student who fasted with her Batak Muslim classmate and break their fast at Indo masjid Al Hikmah in your neighborhood.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens...or_ramadan.html

Apparently many things have changed since you left high school there, homie.
You know many ppl are now more familiar with Muslim tradition and Idul Fitri/Idul Adha are now also legal holidays there, aren’t they?

Peace out.

I don't eat, drink or talk about food in front of my Muslim friends. Well I try not to...sometimes I do forget.

Yea I know....
My catholic friend innocently buy a bag of "gorengan" (friteries of banana, tofu, tempe, sweet potato, etc) and offer me to have it in the first day of this year Ramadhan.
I smile and say "I'm fasting", he apologized repeatedly, I mean no bigga deal. We have to respect those whom not fasting aren't we...

@ Futureman
I'm not a religious person. But there's something about Ramadhan that make you really want to perfectly finish the whole month fasting.

Oh yeah, Alhamdulillah, this year Ramadhan bring fortune for my mother because my mother's catering are bussy with food orders from my office.
So far we already catered for 3 times full meal breaking fast and 3 times tajil (sweet breaking fast treat) kolak. Catered for about 150 person...

Terimah kasih banyak atas jawaban Teman-2 ku

Whether you are Muslim or Kristen or other religius or not.
Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri Mohon Maaf Lahir dan batin. Selamat Lebaran

Ya mas Majapahitans you are the one who is living in Jakarta Indonesia.
Itu sulit, saya ada pacar di Jakarta yang saya mengharap menikah, Kami ngobrol di Yahoo messenger.

I am too damn Westernized growing up in the States. I am trying to see if it is more easier and
if bring her over here with a fiance visa and marry her in the US or as she want it a traditional Muslim Javanese
wedding/ perkawinan. Then all my cousins and family there will want to come. Lots of pressure to stay traditional
and not to mention paying for it (perkawinan) She knows this about me.

umbilotohe merupakan tradisi masyarakat daerah Gorontalo pada 3 malam terakhir bulan puasa ramadhan. Tradisi ini telah berlangsung selama ratusan tahun sejak abad XV

Tumbilotohe sesuai dengan namanya "tumbilo(=pasang)" dan "tohe(=lampu)", yaitu acara menyalakan lampu. Lampu yg digunakan sekarang adalah lampu minyak (minyak tanah) yg umumnya terbuat dari botol atau kaleng bekas yg bagian tutupnya dipasangi sumbu. Sumbu yg dipakai adalah sumbu kompor (kompor minyak). Konon zaman dulu katanya pake damar, trus ganti jadi minyak kelapa, sekarang minyak tanah(menurut sejarah daerah).

Lampu2 ini di pasang berjejer di depan rumah, di pagar, maupun di pinggir jalan mirip jemuran. Jumlahnya pun beragam, tergantung luas halaman rumah & luas dompet pemilik rumah he..he..(uang buat beli minyak + lampunya). Kalo ada sponsor-nya jangankan halaman rumah, sawah pun dipasangi lampu. Anda bisa bayangkan kalo sawah satu hektar dipasangi lampu tiap 1 meter berarti ada 100 ribu lampu. Tapi anda akan melihat seakan2 ada 200ribu lampu karna ada 100 ribu bayangan lampu di permukaan air (sawah kan ada air-nya) .


Ada beragam versi mengenai latar belakang tradisi ini. Ada yg bilang menyambut malam lailatul qadar supaya orang kagak tidur, tapi beribadah. Ada yang bilang menyambut idul fitri, dan lain2. Apapun alasan-nya, kita pandang saja sebagai "budaya orang gorontalo".(soalnya kalo dikait-kaitkan dengan agama nanti jadi bid`ah)

Tradisi turun temurun ini menjadi ajang hiburan masyarakat setempat. Malam tumbilotohe benar2 ramai, bisa di bilang festival paling ramai di gorontalo. Apalagi kalo diselenggarakan lomba antar kampung atau kecamatan, wah makin ramai tuh. Kalo ada foto udara, anda bisa menyaksikan gorontalo terang bercahaya.




Dapet piagam Muri, pemecahan rekor pemasangan 5 juta lampu

^Gelap2 jalan di sana.....kesandung jatoh kebakar ma lilin. lol

Beautiful...!
Lots of lentera/dian/candle.
Similar to Waisak at Borobudur