Most Indonesians, who are predominantly Muslim, have a tradition of celebrating Eid al-Fitr, or what is popularly known in Indonesia as Lebaran, with extended families, both in their residence and hometown. For those celebrating in their hometown, they started traveling back to their hometown a few days before Eid, known in Indonesian as "mudik".
This year's mudik is predicted to be the most festive compared to previous years. As the Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, wrote on his Instagram account on April 8, "This is the most festive mudik in history."
It is estimated that 193.6 million people are doing the mudik. It means almost 70 percent of Indonesians spend some of their money in their hometowns to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. As reported from rri.co.id on Monday (8/4), the Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno revealed a conservative target for money turnover during mudik and Eid al-Fitr this year of 276 trillion rupiahs, or about 17.3 billion US dollar, originating from mudik travelers spread across all regions in Indonesia.
Public spending during Eid will significantly increase Indonesia's economic growth in the first quarter of 2024. Besides that, it will increase local revenue in each region. What is no less important is that many micro, small, and medium businesses will enjoy public spending during this Eid period. It is hoped that their income during 2024 Eid al-Fitr can become capital for their business sustainability.
Hopefully, the joy of celebrating Eid al-Fitr by spending some money will be able to realize Indonesia's 2024 economic growth target of 5.2 percent. It is also hoped that the joy of celebrating Eid with family and relatives will increase the Indonesian's enthusiasm to improve their work performance, which in turn will increase their income.