Source: Tambeh.wordpress.com
Khanduri bu (rice feast) is one of the ritual feasts in the calendrical system of rituals of Acehnese society, which is held in the month of Sha’ban every year. Although currently, this khanduri is still considered important and carried out by some residents of Aceh. The importance of this khanduri is reflected in the name of the month of Sha’ban, which is called the month of khanduri bu.
Typically, each khanduri contains two elements: first, the ritual aspect symbolized in the form of prayers; second, the aspect of joy which is reflected in the feast of food provided. Similarly, with khanduri bu, both aspects are also evident although on a not too large scale. As the name suggests, khanduri bu, which translates to “rice feast” in Indonesian, the food served in this activity is rice. The prayers offered in this feast do not involve many people, only limited to family members. Similarly, the food provided is also not for many people, only for close family members and some orphaned children around the house.
Based on several writings, the khanduri held in the month of Sha’ban is carried out with the main purpose of commemorating deceased parents and praying for Allah SWT to grant them forgiveness and goodness in the grave. At the same time, in accordance with Islamic teachings, Acehnese society believes that the relationship between the living and the deceased in the grave continues to be good, especially the relationship between parents and their children. This is based on the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad: “When a human being dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: ongoing charity, knowledge that benefits others, and a righteous child who prays for him.” Understanding this hadith, it can be understood that every individual has a responsibility to pray for both of their parents, as the best prayer is the one conveyed by their offspring.
In the context of the month of Sha’ban as the month before the arrival of the holy Ramadan, khanduri bu also has a connection with the procession of welcoming the blessed month. Ramadan is a holy month, hence Muslims welcome its arrival and then enter the month in a pure state, both physically and spiritually. The process of purifying the “physical” month can be done by bathing to cleanse oneself in preparation for Ramadan. Conversely, one way of purifying oneself spiritually is by forgiving one another. The delivery of prayers will be better if accompanied by giving food to the poor and orphaned children. Therefore, the month of Sha’ban is the right month to manifest love for those who have passed away and khanduri bu is one of the media to realize it.
The implementation of feasts in the month of Sha’ban welcoming the arrival of Ramadan is also carried out by Muslims outside of Aceh, such as the tradition of “ruwahan” practiced by Muslims in Java. The word “ruwah” has its root in “arwah” or the souls of ancestors, thus it is understood that through this tradition, Javanese Muslim communities try to commemorate their ancestors. In the present day, the implementation of the khanduri bu ritual has started to decrease among the residents.
Taken from the book “Encyclopedia of Acehnese Culture” by Aslam Nur, 2018.
