Jakarta, IO – Several regions in Indonesia have their own unique traditions to celebrate Eid al-Adha, which this year falls on June 17. One of them is Apitan, which is practiced in Central Java dating back to the period of Sunan Kalijaga.
Apitan is similar to thanksgiving prayers (selametan) offered as a form of gratitude for the sustenance in the form of bountiful agricultural produces bestowed by the God, per Detikcom.
In its implementation, there are many forms of Apitan that differs from one region to the other, for example the one in Pati is different from the ones in Blora, Kudus and Semarang.
Literally, “apitan” means a thing in between, or something that happens in the intervening time. That’s why it is conducted between the two major Islamic festivals, namely Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
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The tradition is usually characterized by recitation of prayers, processions and thanksgivings held on village roads or community gathering places such as the village hall or prayer hall.
Apitan was said to be a custom propagated by the Wali Songo (the nine saints in the history of Islamic preaching in Java) in the 15th century. It is a wonderful thing that the tradition is still widely practices nowadays. (un)