Halalbihalal of the Ministry of Culture: Returning to Our Nature

On the first day back to work after the Idulfitri holiday of 1446 Hijri, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia held a halalbihalal event with all employees in the Graha Utama Room on the 3rd Floor of Building A of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Senayan, Jakarta (Tuesday, 8/4).

This event was attended by the Minister of Culture Fadli Zon, accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Culture Giring Ganesha Djumaryo, senior officials, and all employees within the Ministry of Culture.

On this occasion, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture, Bambang Wibawarta, emphasized that the halalbihalal moment is a noble tradition of our nation that is rich in religious and cultural meaning.

“Halabihalal is an extraordinary cultural heritage of ours, a tradition that can weave back the threads of togetherness that may have become tangled due to the busyness and dynamics of daily work,” said Bambang Wibawarta.

By forgiving one another, he added, hopefully we can all move forward with a more open heart, clearer minds, and stronger spirits to build an advanced, inclusive, and sustainable Indonesian culture.

In his speech, the Minister of Culture conveyed Idulfitri greetings directly to all senior officials and employees.

“First of all, I would like to wish you a happy Idulfitri 1446 Hijri. May our deeds in the month of Ramadan be accepted by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and I ask for forgiveness from you all,” he said at the beginning of his remarks.

Furthermore, he explained that the Idulfitri silaturahmi is a tradition and culture with a very long history in Indonesia, and no other country in the world has a celebration as festive as ours.

“If we look at it, starting from the preparations for Ramadan, there are various activities. I think that has also become part of our intangible cultural heritage, such as preparations for facing the month of Ramadan, then breaking the fast together, which has become a tradition and culture,” said Minister Fadli Zon.

Not only during Ramadan, but after Eid, Indonesia is also rich in the halalbihalal tradition that is carried out together. In this moment, the Minister of Culture once again invites us to refocus on our respective work responsibilities.

“Now we return to the reality of life, our responsibilities, the trust given to us in our respective positions to fulfill what is planned in our program activities at the Ministry of Culture. So today, April 8, 2025, as our first day back in the office, we hope our spirits will be even higher, especially after struggling for so long for those who have been fasting and just returned from their hometowns.”

“I think there should be a revival or a process to return to our nature, and we feel our efforts to enhance brotherhood, tolerance, and also help those in need through zakat and others,” he stated.

The Challenges Are Getting Bigger

The Minister of Culture also reminded that the challenges we face today are also getting bigger.

“We know that in the last few weeks there has been an extraordinary event, especially by the President of the United States imposing quite large tariffs on many countries, including Indonesia.”

This, according to him, could disrupt a system that has been functioning well. Such unilateral actions could lead to a significant shock that has not occurred in the last 100 years. The effects of this policy have yet to be determined, particularly regarding its impact on the cultural sector.

“This will certainly have some impact on our government. However, we will strive as much as possible, especially in the Ministry of Culture, to continue to operate according to what has been planned. I believe this can become a diversification that fields previously considered not contributors to the state budget should become an alternative.”

He reminded, “Our cultural capital is very large. I say everywhere that our culture can contribute significantly to the cultural economy and the cultural industry. Alhamdulillah, during the recent holiday, I received reports from MCB, for example, that our museum visitors were also quite large. If I'm not mistaken, the National Museum reached its peak during the last holiday with 10,000 visitors a day.”

The Minister of Culture also hopes that cultural heritage museums, art galleries, and cultural practitioners can increase so that they can become part of cultural strength.

“Because this cultural strength will become a major theme moving forward. So culture must ultimately be part of our efforts to reinvent Indonesia. Our identity, how Indonesians are, Indonesian culture, is reflected within each of us. We have a good reputation in the international arena,” he stated.

In this halalbihalal moment, cultural figure and poet D. Zawawi Imron was also present. In his remarks, he emphasized that we all must love Indonesia.

“The homeland of Indonesia is our motherland; those who love it should not fill it with sins and immorality. Do not fill it with hatred, hostility, and division. The homeland of Indonesia is our prayer mat; those who love it must plant it with seeds of faith, seeds of piety, seeds of harmony, seeds of brotherhood, seeds of progress, and seeds of creativity,” said the senior poet.

The event concluded with all employees of the Ministry of Culture shaking hands with the Minister of Culture, the Deputy Minister of Culture, and all senior officials in the Ministry of Culture.