History Of Homecoming Archipelago

Photo illustration (Source: By courtesy)

JAKARTA - Homecoming is a long tradition recorded in the history of Indonesian society. There is romance to social recognition in the history of going home.

The homecoming tradition is basically a tradition of city people. Homecoming coincided with the emergence of modern cities in Indonesia and the symptoms of urbanization in the 19th century.

"There is a distance between the city and the village which is often called udik. So the moment when we return to the village is called 'homecoming', ”said historian JJ Rizal.

This is closely related to Jakarta, which since its name as Batavia and its status as the Colonial Capital, has become a magnet for people from various regions to try their luck. "No doubt, the large amount of urbanization has made Batavia, especially Jakarta, synonymous with going home," said Rizal.

Photo illustration (Source: By courtesy)

Romance and social recognition

If you look back, the term homecoming was actually only popular around the 1970s. Each region also has its own language in mentioning the homecoming tradition. For people in Java, homecoming comes from the word 'mulih disik' which means to go home for a while.

However, for the Betawi people, they interpret going home as 'returning to the udik (village)'. Senior journalist, Alwi Shahab, in a book entitled Maria van Engels: Men-in-law Habib Kwitang (2006) also raises the term homecoming from the perspective of Minang nomads.

He explained, "For Minang people, who according to an estimate in 2000 the number in Jabodetabek is at least two million people, has long been known as 'home basomo.'"

Homecoming is not just a matter of homesickness. Since in history, homecoming has become a symbol of social recognition.

In the past, homecoming was always done by convoy. During the homecoming moment, the nomads are like heroes.

The vehicles of the travelers affixed with stickers will be greeted at the provincial border by voorijders. "That's when a cultural scene was shown. "Let's go abroad to change fate," that's the message they conveyed along the way. "

Due to the popularity of homecoming, Komaruddin Hidayat in an e-book entitled Indahnya Mudik Lebaran (2015), describes homecoming romance as nostalgia and retrospectively during adolescence. Homecoming, for him is a beautiful and melancholy emotional recreation, which is capable of going through a long time.

Photo illustration of ancient homecoming (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

Not only that. Komaruddin also revealed the reasons why someone likes going home. The reason is none other than because there is a classic saying that humans are 'homo festivus', that is, creatures who like festivals.

Therefore, Komaruddin said, “... with so many festivals, including festivals with religious nuances. Celebrating Eid al-Fitr can also be classified as a festival. At every festival, there is a steady pattern, which is repeated massively at certain moments, gathering together in an atmosphere of joy. "

"There are others who say, humans are pilgrims. Wanderer or traveler being, which is happy to travel or take a walk. Every holiday comes, the main agenda is sightseeing, recreation, "he added.

In line with that, the Rector of the Sumbawa Besar Social and Cultural Institute (IISBUD) Miftahul Arzak, who was contacted by VOI, revealed the same thing. Miftah views homecoming as a step back to her homeland.

“People who feel that they are going home are people who feel that the land they are standing on right now is not permanent but temporary. So, they need to return to their place of origin or birth within a certain period of time. "

Therefore, people who carry out the homecoming tradition of course have a variety of purposes. Sometimes going home is interpreted as a form of acknowledgment of himself to his native land, sometimes also as a form of longing for the warmth of the atmosphere in his hometown that is not twofold.

"On that basis, it is clear why sometimes there are people who compete to return to their homeland. Either going home is used as a symbol of one's success in the overseas land, or just as a form of longing for the land of birth. What is clear from all of them is that the moment of gathering is what we look forward to, "concluded Miftahul Arzak.

* Read other information about HISTORY or read other interesting writings from Detha Arya Tifada.

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