by Dames Alexander Sinaga

JAKARTA, April 22 (Xinhua) -- For Muslims across the world, Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the dawn-to-sunset fasting month of Ramadan. This year in Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population, Eid started on Saturday without any pandemic restrictions on public activities.

The Eid festival, locally known as Lebaran, begins with the first sighting of the new moon and Muslims usually have to wait sometimes until the night before for the authority to announce the exact date of Eid.

For the first time after three years of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many in Indonesia could step on the long-awaited journey home and celebrate the Eid fully and heartily this year.

Public parades in Indonesia appeared on the eve of Eid, locally called as "takbiran", when groups of Muslim youth took to the streets chanting, setting off firecrackers and playing drums.

Mohammad Iman, a 48-year-old who lives in the eastern part of the capital city Jakarta, visited the mosque in his residential complex on Saturday morning together with his family to attend an Eid mass prayer. He was wearing a traditional Muslim attire and a newly bought hat.

"This is how we usually start the holy day of Eid. We pray in mosques when the sun rises," he told Xinhua after completing his Eid prayer.

"People then give sweets or snacks to children to share the joy. Families will have traditional breakfast together and give money to children," Iman said, adding that giving gift money or angpao (red envelope) to children, young siblings, relative's children during Eid is obligatory for a grown-up.

"Eid is also about doorstep visits among family members and friends. People need to prepare sweets and cookies made specially for the occasion," he said.

This year the Indonesian government has granted a public holiday across the Southeast Asian country from April 19 to April 25. Many people left for their hometowns days ahead of April 19 to avoid the huge traffic congestion expected at major toll road stations and seaports.

According to Ministry of Transportation projections before the public holiday, more than 123 million Indonesians would travel back to their hometowns for the Eid celebration this year, a 46 percent increase from a year earlier. At least 18 million travelers of the total would depart from Greater Jakarta, one of the world's most densely populated areas.

At a press briefing held on Friday, President Joko Widodo called on the travelers to stay cautious as the public mobility during the Eid holiday this year is increasing significantly.

"This year marks the first time of Eid homecoming without the Implementation of Restrictions on Community Activities (PPKM), three years after the pandemic broke out," he said and asked homebound travelers across the country to take care when going home.

The president with his family celebrates Eid in his hometown in Surakarta, Central Java.

Indonesian police have been on the alert for any incident reports in regions with tourist spots that are usually flocked by visitors during the Eid holiday, according to media reports. Enditem

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