VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Next week, 11  March, Muslims around the world will carry out fasting during Ramadan, which means that they do not  eat or drink for approximately 12 hours everyday  for 30 days. Approaching the fasting month of Ramadan, residents of Ratmakan Village, Ngupasan sub-district, Gondomanan Special Region of Yogyakarta again held an Apem festival, "Ngapem Ruwahan, on Sunday morning (25/2/ 2024). There were three large Apems or food-like mountains (gunungan) at the festival.

Before the event started, all the residents of Ratmakan village paraded three mountains which  consist of two Apem mountains, sticky rice and kolak, and one mountain which  contains vegetables from the land. These three mountains are a symbol of gratitude and forgiving one  another among humans and approach themselves  to God Almighty. When parading the three gunungan, the residents of Ratmakan village who paraded the gunungan, wore traditional Javanese clothing with Gamelan music accompaniment which made the atmosphere of this festival even more festive and solemn.

Another purpose of holding the Apem festival is to bring about harmonization of religious, artistic and cultural elements in the community. But the most important message is actually to remind ones that the Muslims will soon enter the holy month of Ramadan. The lesson that can be learned from holding this Apem festival tradition   is  the sincerity to forgive one another. "Afwan" an Arabic word, which means sorry, then becomes Apem. This is all mental preparation before doing fasting in the month of Ramadan.