Indonesia is a country with rich cultural diversity. Each region has its own unique traditions in welcoming an event such as Ramadhan.
Punggahan is one of the traditions of the Indonesian people in welcoming the month of Ramadhan. We do this tradition as a form of gratitude and happiness to welcome the holy month of Ramadhan with the aim of strengthening the bond of friendship.
Usually we set a date to gather and eat together with family, friends, or colleagues. The food is then collected and prayed together while expressing gratitude for the coming of the month of Ramadan.
This time I did punggahan together with my office friends. We made a meal together in a lesehan way ( by sitting together on the floor and eating using banana leaf sheets).
This way of eating feels warm and close. Traditions like this can be used as a momentum for the whole community to strengthen the unity of each other. In my office not necessarily Muslims, everyone will eat together and celebrate punggahan.
All division representatives take part in the preparation of this event. They help each other in preparing this event.
There are some menu in this punggahan event. There is Ayam Kalasan ( Fried Chicken ), Sambal Kentang Hati dan Ampela ( Spicy Stir-fried Potatoes and Chicken Liver ), Telur Sambal ( Egg with Chilli Sauce ), Urap ( Vegetables Salad with Spicy Coconut Sauted ), Tauco Udang ( Shrimp with Bean Paste and Chili), Kerupuk Udang dan Emping ( Shrimp Crackers and Gnetum Gnemon Chips ), Ikan Asin ( Salted Fish ), Mie ( Fried Noodle ), and Es Timun ( Cucumber Ice ).
It's a perfect dish for this event.
These traditional and home-cooked dishes are perfect for such an occasion. For fruits, there are bananas, duku, and watermelon.
For dessert, there is serabi cake. A dish made from rice flour and coconut milk that is cooked in a sunken container and topped with coconut milk brown sugar.
Munggahan also provides an opportunity to apologize and forgive each other. This tradition reflects the importance of starting Ramadan with a state of purity both physically and mentally.