As the holy month of Ramadan is nearing its' end and Eid al FItr is approaching soon, we'd like to celebrate the beautiful traditions of Ramadan in Indonesia, and one of the most famous is Ngabuburit or killing time while waiting for iftar or buka puasa. Ngabuburit is a Sundanese (West Javan) word that means chilling while waiting for the evening (and the adzan Maghrib) to come. Here are a few Indonesian ngabuburit traditions to look into these Ramadan!
1. Sweet Spots for Ta'Jil
One of the most favourite way to spend some time waiting for Buka Puasa or iftar is to look for foods to break the fast, also known as ta'jil. Usually the food that people are looking to purchase are sweet snacks and desserts, such as dates, cakes, and other sweet treats. Some mosques and stores offer up free ta'jil too, so it's always rewarding to go looking for them during for your ngabuburit!
2. GGWP! Let's Play Some Games
Back in the day, many traditional games were played by kids together on the streets and alleys of their kampongs and housing complexes while waiting for iftar, such as congklak, hopscotch, lompat tali, or simply riding bicycle around the area. Nowadays, even though some form of traditional games are still played, many kids prefer to play video games or mobile games together instead.
3. Keep Calm and Let's Go To The Mosque
For a more tranquil and religious ngabuburit experience, you can sit and wait for the bedug or iftar announcement in your neighborhood mosques. Some mosques offer enlightening preachings and inspiring messages by the imam to encourage you to become a better Muslim, you can do the tadarus prayers to calm yourself down, or you can simply use this opportunity to hang out and talk with your friends.
4. Shopping (for Air-Cons!)
A more modern option you can choose is to go straight to the shopping malls to do some shopping! You can start striking items down off your Lebaran shopping list (psst! There are usually many discounts and promotions during the month), surveying places for your next BukBer event (Buka Bersama), or simply hiding from the afternoon heat in the comfort of the mall's air conditioning! Be careful though, don't let yourself be tempted by the delicious foods on display!
5. Be a Social (Media) Butterfly!
Last but not least, you can simply spend your day looking for inspirations and ideas on your social media platforms! Find inspiring videos on YouTube, look for your next travel inspiration on Instagram, or simply catch up with the latest news on Twitter. A word of advise, keep yourself away from the comment sections, for it might tarnish your fasting when you read the mean comments!
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