Submitted by the FCJ sisters in Yogyakarta
The celebration of Idul Fitri that marks the end of Ramadan is a beautiful feast in Indonesia. It has always been the practice of the FCJ sisters in Yogyakarta to give parcels of special foods to our Muslim neighbours. We hope in this simple way to show our love and respect for our neighbours as well as to add to the joy of the celebration by providing some festive foods.
The situation in 2020 was very different due to the poverty caused by COVID-19. We decided to add some basic provisions to our parcels to help our neighbours as much as we could. We packed and delivered the parcels a few days before Idul Fitri. Our neighbours were delighted to receive them.
It was especially lovely to hand out simple gift parcels to the local children who attend our ‘village school’ each Saturday. The children were so happy to receive their parcels. We could ‘see’ their smiles despite their masks.
The gift-giving was not simply ‘one-way’, we too were the recipients of a gift of food. On the eve of Idul Fitri we were deeply touched to receive a selection of freshly cooked food, enough for all of us to enjoy. There was much to be thankful for on this day of peace and rejoicing.
We hope in this simple way to show our love and respect for our neighbours as well as to add to the joy of the celebration by providing some festive foods.
