Meugang, The Way Aceh Welcoming Ramadan

Meugang is a tradition to consume beef or buffalo to be eaten together for celebrate the beginning of Ramadan, Idul Fitri and Idul Adha. Meat ranges in price about $9 to $11 per kg depending on the diet and quality.

Aceh People Conduct Meugang To Welcome Fasting Month

Ramadan month special considered for the people of Aceh, they do some preparation in welcoming the arrival of this month. Acehnese traditional celebration preparing for the beginning of Ramadan is slaughters animals like cow and buffalo. The meat will be sold at the market or consumption by its own.

This kind of activity in Acehnese known as meugang or makmeugang is an important day for the people of Aceh. On that day, people get together with their families to eat meat to fortify themselves for the following month of fasting. Appeared in daily life, meugang tradition is like obligated for the people of Aceh.

Meugang tradition embodied by preparing dishes and cereal offering that variegated. Menu that form of beef, buffalo, chicken, and ducks as main daily bread on the day of the beginning of Ramadan. Although the price offered is expensive than usual, the people of Aceh trying to get it. 

Never mind if you only get one kilogram meat, expensive price of the meat is not be a problem. The most important things is the togetherness in the family. Togetherness is the lesson from the value of the intangible for the people of Aceh. 

Already proving to be an obligation for a parent to prepare the money to buy meat on the Meugang day. Usually, those who seek a far away living places will return home and gathered with family in Meugang day.

The tradition of slaughtering animals in the Meugang day has been held since hundreds years ago in Aceh. Slaughter of animals also being held in government offices and private. 
 
In the acehnese tradition, there are three times Meugang held in a year. First is meugang before fasting month. Second is before heading an Idul Fitri day. Last Meugang ahead an Idul Adha day.

Specially for meugang ahead Idul Adha day was not so sacred than meugang before fasting month and meugang heading an Idul Fitri day. Because, in the next day there will be animal slaughtering by the wealthy/rich people. Slaughtering animals will be done in four days in a row. Meat were distributed to poor people around them.

In between three meugang tradition, meugang befor fasting month is the most sacred one. Usually the people of Aceh buy the meat in the relative numbers. Some others preserved become Sie Reuboh (stewed meat) and dendeng. Sie Reuboh and dendeng can be eaten for several days in the month of fasting. 

In modern time, meugang are no more distributed free of charge as in the Sultanate of Aceh, people buy the meat in meugang by their own money and for citizens who are less able, they usually get compensation for their meugang from Imum meunasah and a generous neighbor so that they do not feel too worry.

On Meugang day, along the way in Aceh we can watch some of the Meugang meat-selling madness. This place is an established meat market usually made up of two or three stands by the side of the road. 

But in preparation for Meugang there were stalls lining both sides of the road and cause traffic jams as people stopped their vehicles in the narrow road to do some shopping. 

Meugang has existed since the time of Sultan Iskandar Muda, meugang taught us many things going the other side of life, so that we should preserve this distinctive tradition.

The following photos don’t really need further explanation, right?

Thanks for visiting Aceh People Conduct Meugang To Welcome Fasting Month article. I hope things will get interesting going forward…