TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The annual Lebaran Betawi festival is back this weekend, May 20-21, 2023, at the National Monument (Monas) with the theme of ‘Betawi Kompak, Jakarta Sukses, Indonesia Maju’ (Unified Betawi) offering a variety of unique attractions and a gathering place for Jakartans.

Lebaran Betawi is an annual agenda held by the Trust Council of Betawi Association (MAPKB) and supported by the Jakarta Provincial Government. It is usually held in the Islamic month of Shawal or a few weeks after Eid al-Fitr or locally known as 'lebaran' which this year falls on April 22.

“This Lebaran Betawi Eid is not only for Betawi people, but Jakarta residents can also meet and interact with each other, including the regional government,” the event’s organizing committee chairman H Beky Mardani said on Thursday, May 18, 2023.

Beky explained that various attractions to be presented during the festival include the Batavian tradition procession dubbed "hantaran" or "anteran" which illustrated the visit of children to their parents or young people to the older ones.

There will also be traditional Betawi dances and musical performances such as bedug or drum attraction, tanjidor, samrah, gambang keromong, and keroncong Betawi, as well as the legendary performance of Kerontjong Toegoe group.

The first day of the festival, Beky went on, will be closed with the traditional movie screening or layar tancap. The second day will be opened with palang pintu, a traditional ceremony that is often held to welcome honored bridal couples.

It will be then followed by Betawi cultural parades, involving the ondel-ondel puppet, dancers, pencak silat martial artists, and performers of Lenong Betawi traditional theaters.

The Lebaran Betawi festival starts at 08:00 Jakarta time. The entrance to Monas, Central Jakarta, is free for the public. There will also be culinary bazaars offering traditional dishes and beverages, as well as accessories.

ANTARA

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