Celebrating Lebaran May Change but Not Its Meaning

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Comparison of the atmosphere of the Astrid field in the Bogor Botanical Gardens complex, Bogor, when the Eid Al-Fitr Prayer was not held with the Eid Al-Fitr Prayer atmosphere last year, Sunday (24/5/2020). During the Covid-19 pandemic the Bogor Botanical Gardens did not hold the Id Eid Al-Fitr 1441 H / 2020 prayer. The Bogor Botanical Garden was one of the destinations for the Bogor people to attend the Eid prayer during Eid Al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

Lebaran is usually celebrated with a feeling of togetherness and excitement. This year, the celebration was quite different amid social restrictions imposed by the government to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission. However, the situation did not lesson the importance of Idul Fitri itself.

Ahead of Idul Fitri, the government and religious leaders appealed to the public to hold Idul Fitri prayers at home. People were asked not to go on the annual mudik (exodus) or to hold an open houses to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission.

Also read: Celebrating Lebaran, the New Way

The situation changed the way people celebrated this year’s Idul Fitri. A Kompas poll in mid-May indicated the difference.

One of the most obvious differences in this year\'s Idul Ftri was that the streets were quiet. This year\'s Idul Fitri was also marked by changes in spending patterns. Three quarters of respondents celebrated this year\'s Idul Fitri without new clothes.

Decreased spending on clothing has been seen since the start of the fasting month. It can be seen in the results of the McKinsey & Company survey on April 25-26, 2020, which was conducted online with 711 respondents.

As many as 67 percent of respondents in the survey decided to spend less on clothing, while 69 percent of respondents decided to reduce purchases of footwear.

Gadjah Mada University sociologist, Sunyoto Usman, when contacted from Jakarta on Tuesday (26/5/2020), said that the people no longer waited for Idul Fitri to buy new clothes. Buying new clothes for Lebaran is no longer something special.

KOMPAS/AGUIDO ADRI

Indra (43), a clothing trader in Tanah Abang Market, Central Jakarta, complained about the lack of customers and strict rules from PSBB, Tuesday (26/5/2020).

The change in expenditure patterns

The change in the way people celebrate Lebaran due to the COVID-19 outbreak has also changed the pattern of spending, which was far lower than in those in previous Idul Fitri.

The symptoms of the decline in expenditure have been seen since early 2020. According to data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), household spending grew 2.84 percent in the first quarter of 2020, far below the 5 percent recorded in the same period, last year.

The downward trend in spending was also reflected in the results of a McKinsey & Company survey that showed 82 percent of respondents were more careful in spending their money due to economic uncertainty. One of the precautions was to reduce household spending, as mentioned by 67 percent of respondents. As many as 68 percent of respondents also refrained from buying certain items with the same quantity as during normal condition.

Spending patterns

However, the reduced expenditure was not always synonymous with the loss of tradition in the Idul Fitri celebration this year. The Kompas poll revealed that as many as three-quarters of respondents still maintained the habit of preparing special Idul Fitri dishes, such as opor (chicken cooked in coconut milk) with fried chili sauce and various foods.

KOMPAS/SEKAR GANDHAWANGI

A parcel trader in Barito Market, South Jakarta makes parcels containing various food and beverage packages, Thursday (21/5/2020). The parcel or parcel became a community media to stay in touch during the Covid-19 pandemic.

At first glance, these results of the survey are in contrast with the phenomenon of this year’s Idul Fitri, which was celebrated without the presence of extended families with all the excitement like in the previous years.

Sunyoto said, the Lebaran dishes were still maintained for the consumption of the nuclear family. In fact, according to him, the price of special foods in Yogyakarta during Lebaran this year were lower than last year\'s Idul Fitri.

Referring to the results of the McKinsey & Company survey in May 2020, since the COVID-19 outbreak, consumers have preferred to reduce consumption of processed foods, both those eaten outside the home and those purchased through home delivery services.

As many as six out of 10 respondents in the McKinsey & Company survey said they had reduced the habit of buying processed foods. They preferred buying raw food and processed it by themselves in order to maintain the quality and its hygiene.

The pattern of buying food has also changed since the COVID-19 outbreak emerged. Before the outbreak, more than two-thirds of respondents said they often shopped at stalls. As many as 67 percent of respondents were accustomed to shopping at department stores and half more respondents also often shopped at traditional markets.

As many as 46 percent of respondents in the McKinsey & Company survey said they would reduce shopping at the stalls.

However, food shopping patterns have changed since COVID-19 spread in Indonesia. As many as 46 percent of respondents in the McKinsey & Company survey said they would reduce shopping at the stalls. As many as 43 percent of the respondents also chose to avoid shopping at department stores.

In fact, six out of 10 respondents also said they no longer shopped at traditional markets. They chose to shop vegetables, fruit and protein sources through online media.

So, it is not surprising that the tradition of sending gift baskets or food declined in this year\'s Idul Fitri. As many as 57 percent of respondents no longer sent gift baskets or food. Previously, the Lebaran gift basket was considered as a symbol of sharing happiness and friendship. (KOMPAS R&D)