VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Hundreds of Indonesian citizens in Romania, attended the Eid al-Fitr 1445 Hijri festivity, which is Indonesian   most important holiday, followed by  halal bihalal gathering  held by the Indonesian Embassy in Bucharest for the first time in the last five years. It was held  at the Indonesian Ambassador's residence in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday (10/4/2024).

In a written statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Bucharest received in Jakarta, Friday, the Indonesian Ambassador to Romania Meidyatama Suryodiningrat said that the Eid al-Fitr celebration was very meaningful because there were no other foreign representatives in Bucharest that held the event.

This event became a momentum for the Indonesian people coming from various cities in Romania, such as the cities of Cluj and Timiosara which are more than 450 km from Bucharest, to pray and strengthen social bond in celebrating Eid al-Fitr.

According to the Indonesian Ambassador, the Eid al-Fitr celebration was also attended by the Malaysian Ambassador Sirajuzzaman bin Tengku Mohamed Ariffin. Also present were Muslim citizens from Romania, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Türkiye.

After the Eid al-Fitr prayers, Indonesian people from various religions participated in the halal bihalal gathering to forgive each other. In this event, typical Indonesian food was also served, such as lontong rice cake, opor ayam or chicken curry, sayur lodeh (mixed vegetables cooked in coconut milk), beef stew, sambal terasi or shrimp paste chili sauce and others, to heal the longing of Indonesian people for their homeland.

Ambassador Meidyatama reminded that for Indonesians  Eid al-Fitr is not only a holiday for Muslims but also a means of gathering nationally to strengthen brotherhood. According to him, this is very valuable for Indonesian citizens who are far from their homeland.