It is indeed. Also known as Hari Raya Idul Fitri (The Great Day of Idul Fitri). The traditional greeting is mohon maaf lahir dan bathin -- please forgive (me) body and soul. What I assume is an Arabic expression, Minal Aidin Wal Faidzin, is becoming more popular.

There are various transliterations of whatever the Arabic original of Ramadhan is: Romodhon seems to be the most popular. It's often just referred to as Puasa (fast).

Then there's mudik. Most people try to go back to whatever village their family came from at Idul Fitri. That means something like 7,000,000 people left Jakarta the weekend before Idul Fitri and then came back again last weekend. I stay put despite having a week off work. I just can't face the fight to get anywhere and then the fight to get back again.

As soon as the last day of fasting finishes at sundown, the mosques start up with special services broadcast to the whole neighbourhood over loudspeakers. People still set off firecrackers, although the govt. is trying to crack down on this. It seems to go on most of the night. I usually fall asleep about 1 a.m. so I don't know what time they actually stop.

There's another service in the mosques at 5 a.m. and then people start on the rounds of visits. Everybody goes round to visit whoever the eldest living relative nearby is, and then work their way through the rest of the family. A lot of people also visit the graves of recently-deceased family members before Puasa and at Idul Fitri.

Bingley

Bingley