Eid is the Right to Moment to Forgive each Other, to Reconnect: Cabinet Secretary

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung sends out Eid greeting. (Photo by: Public Relations Division/Jay)

Eid Day is the right moment to have silaturahmi (friendly gathering), to forgive each other, and to reconnect, according to Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung,

Eid Day is also a moment for sharing with their relatives, he added.

“I consider Eid Day a moment to unite us emotionally not only with our relatives but also with our neighbors and our people,” Cabinet Secretary said in an interview on Wednesday (5/6).

The observance of Eid Day in Indonesia, Pramono added, is different from the observance of Eid Day in Arab countries. “We observe Eid Day here full of kinship and togetherness, and with silaturahmi,” Pramono said, adding that Eid Day is also a moment highly anticipated not only by adults but also by kids.

Pramono recalled that when he was a kid, he was always looking forward to Eid Day and the fasting month with an extraordinary spirit and until now, he said that he still has the same feelings. He also said that when he was a kid he always received Eid money from his parents and his older relatives.

“Now that we are adults, it’s time for us to share with those that we need to share and we consider appropriate to share,” he said.

“On Eid, we have a good tradition, which is to visit people our parents, people older than us, and our relatives,” he said, adding that during Eid Day, everyone can also promote mutual understanding.

This year’s Eid Day, he added, is certainly different from Eid Day in the previous years.

“Now people in Java can make the most of a toll road from Jakarta or Banten until Probolinggo,” he said, adding that this is an extraordinary blessing to be enjoyed during Eid Day.

Pramono also expressed hope that in this year’s mudik (Eid annual exodus) season, travellers will not only have to stay safe during the trip but also have to make sure that they will not be too tired.

“What is also important is not to be too tired because of the long holiday. Once the holiday is over, we have to immediately return to our daily activities, be it you live in Jakarta, Surabaya, or in other major cities. We have to go back to work as usual because productivity is important,” he said.

Cabinet Secretary also sent out Eid wishes during the interview.

“I hope that this year’s Eid Day can unite us all in the wake of the elections (presidential elections and legislative elections). And I hope we can put aside differences. We can forgive each other and we can together maintain the unity of Indonesia. Eid Mubarak,” he said. (RSF/EN)

Translated by: Muhammad Ersan Pamungkas