Meat Cooking Celebration Traditions for Acehnese People
Aceh is one of the areas where the majority of the population is Muslim, it can be said that around 98% are Muslim. Until now "Meugang Day" is still a tradition that is still preserved here (Aceh), there is no tradition in any province in Indonesia that carries out this tradition other than Aceh. This is a tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation from the many traditions that exist in Aceh. In Acehnese society there are two mentions of the name of this tradition, namely: Some say "Meugang" only, some say "MakMeugang".
This meugang day is very important for people in the western tip of Indonesia because the month of Ramadan will be welcomed with great fanfare. When Meugang Day arrives one day before the entry of the month of Ramadan, the community is very enthusiastic about preparing themselves with various things, one of which is buying beef. Not only that, there are also people who buy chicken, duck, fish and even mutton. It is according to the taste of each family. The way people celebrate this meugang tradition is also different, including "Meugang in Gampong (village)", which is meugang which is done in the village with the family. For example, if someone is traveling abroad, let's say he is studying or working outside the city, to welcome the day of meugang, that person takes the time to meugang in the village, enjoying a very beautiful and happy meal with his family. This moment is very rare, if asked to tell a story, then the person is very happy, running out of words to tell the story, heheheheh (lol). Indeed, in terms of law, it is not obligatory to carry out this tradition, it's just that if the people of Aceh do not carry out this tradition, it feels incomplete in welcoming the month of Ramadan.
When the meugang day arrives, lots of impromptu cattle sellers appear, many stalls (places) they set up on the roadside to the market, even markets that have been determined by the sub-district/village government for them to sell beef and other basic ingredients. Ironically, the price of beef sold on Meugang's day is higher than usual, which is not a problem. The most important thing is to be able to enjoy beef dishes three times a year with family, relatives or friends. The prices of basic commodities such as rice, sugar, cooking oil, chicken eggs, red and white onions, LPG gas, tomatoes, red chilies, green chilies, spices and others also moved up. They take the moment that comes 3 times a year. This meugang day is there to celebrate the month of Ramadan, the second at the end of Ramadan welcomes Eid Al-Fitr and the third celebrates Hari Raya Haji (Idul Adha).
In rural areas, the customs of the Acehnese people are still very strong in welcoming Meugang Day, usually men who are married and living in the in-laws' homes have the obligation to bring home a few kilograms of meat to be cooked and enjoyed with the wife's family. The more beef that is brought home to the wife the better, but again this is not forced to have a lot of beef. According to the funds that the man can afford. If you can afford 1 kilogram of beef, it's not a problem either.
In terms of serving food in several districts/cities in Aceh, of course, it is also different. In urban areas, the people's habits are to cook more modern or contemporary dishes such as beef stew, satay, beef steak, chili beef and others.
In Lhokseumawe, where I live, North Aceh and its surroundings. The menu is often processed with the main ingredient of meat, namely "Acehnese cuisine" or commonly called Aceh curry, then rendang, white cooking, bone soup, rib soup and others. Because my parents are from Banda Aceh, my mother occasionally cooks boiled “sie” meat with vinegar. Of course, the smell caused makes the stomach hungry.
The history of the birth of this meugang tradition “The Meugang tradition has been carried out for hundreds of years in Aceh. Meugang started from the time of the Aceh Kingdom. At that time (1607-1636 AD), Sultan Iskandar Muda slaughtered animals in large quantities and the meat was distributed free of charge to all his people. This is done as gratitude for the prosperity of its people and gratitude to its people. After the Kingdom of Aceh was conquered by the Dutch in 1873, this tradition was no longer carried out by the king. However, because this has been rooted in the lives of the Acehnese people, Meugang is still carried out today under any conditions. The Meugang tradition is also used by Acehnese warriors in guerrilla warfare, where beef and goat are preserved for supplies. wikipedia
I took all these pictures using a Canon EOS M50 Camera, the lens I use is a Canon Ultrasonic 75mm-300mm telephoto lens
| Camera Model | Camera Canon EOS M50 |
|---|---|
| Lens | Kit 15mm-45mm IS STM |
| Category | Photography |
| Setting | MF |
| Processed | Adobe Photoshop CC 2022 |
| Location | Aceh - Indonesia |
| Oringinal Picture | @mohd.iqbal |
Thank you for visiting and reading this post, if you like it, don't forget to give support and don't forget to also leave a message here to build posts in a better direction