BOYOLALI - Residents on the slopes of Mount Merapi in Mlambong Hamlet, Sruni Village, Musuk District, Boyolali Regency, Central Java held the Syawalan tradition or Lebaran Ketupat 2022 by parading hundreds of cattle around the village while still implementing the COVID-19 health protocol.
Residents in holding the Syawalan / Lebaran Ketupat traditional ceremony this year, seemed more enthusiastic because the government had given leeway for homecoming permits because cases of the COVID-19 pandemic had begun to slope during the Eid 1443 Hijri holiday.
In fact, there were more than 1,000 people who attended the traditional ceremony compared to the previous year, which was carried out simply and in limited numbers because cases of the COVID-19 pandemic were still high in this region.
The head of RW 4 Hamlet Mlambong, Sruni Jaman Village (53) as a community leader, explained that the traditional Syawalan/Eid Ketupat ceremony began with praying together and then continued to eat ketupat which he brought himself from home.
This is a form of gratitude to God Almighty who has given a lot of fortune and followed by a procession of cattle as pets for local residents.
"In the Ketupat Syawalan Lebaran tradition, cattle are also pampered by their owners by being given ketupat food before being paraded around the village and then being bathed to return to the cage," he said as quoted by Antara, Monday, May 9.
The Syawalan tradition ceremony by parading the cattle, said Jaman, follows the story of Prophet Sulaiman to express gratitude to God Almighty who has given fortune through the local residents' domesticated livestock.
In holding the Syawalan tradition this year, because the COVID-19 cases have subsided, so many residents are followed by a total of 300 cows. In the previous year's implementation, it was only held in a simple manner and the participation was limited because COVID-19 cases were still high in this region.
"In fact, this year's Syawalan cattle procession was attended by hundreds of cows and attended by a thousand people while still implementing health protocols. Compared to the previous year, the number of participants was limited and held simply as a symbol of tradition," he said.
The community holding the traditional Syawalan Lebaran Ketupat ceremony this year was greeted with enthusiasm, because the government had made concessions by allowing going home and traditional activities that brought many people.
"This year, the community looks more prosperous than the previous year. This is because the number of cattle in this hamlet has increased to 300. Previously, the number of cattle in this hamlet was only 200. Almost all of the residents in this hamlet have cattle as a source of income. family income other than farming," said Jaman.
Head of the Education and Culture Office of Boyolali Regency, Darmanto, who was present at the traditional event, said that cattle for the Boyolali community in general and Sruni Village in particular are part of life and life.
Practically, he said, people's lives as a whole cannot be separated from the presence of cows. For this reason, at the moment of Eid Ketupat, the community treats cattle as part of their life.
"So when he likes it, the cow must like it, on the other hand if he is sad the cow is sad too. This, the Syawalan Lebaran Ketupat with this procession of cows, is a good tradition as a relic of the cultural heritage of our predecessors which is obligatory to be preserved," he said.
The Boyolali Regency Government through the local Disdikbud whose main task is the promotion of culture certainly appreciates this activity.
"Hopefully, the community will be more total in managing their cattle so that this becomes a motivation for the community to continue living with livestock for their welfare," Darmanto.
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