Vendors have put up their stalls in Johar market and also near Kauman, the great mosque. Everyone is heading for the centre. The vendors praise their merchandise: clay pots in various forms, children’s toys, deliciously smelling food. There is brisk trade. Old and young have come to the Dugderan Festival. The Dugderan Festival is unique to Semarang. It is held during the week before the beginning of Ramadan, the month during which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. At the beginning of Ramadan, Muslims would sound the big drum and have a fireworks display. This announced the official beginning of the fasting month. The drum sounded like ‘dug-dug-dug’ and this combined with the sound of cracking fireworks, ‘der-der-der’, gave dugder which finally became Dugderan. These days the fireworks display is no longer allowed. Everybody gathered in front of the great mosque, and waited for the official beginning of Ramadan. Some other people made use of this opportunity to sell their merchandise.
Everywhere around me I see children with a ‘Warak Ngendok’. ‘Warak Ngendok’ means egg-laying bird. This toy is typical of the Dugderan Festival. It’s a kind of bird on a wooden base with four wheels. Children pull it along on a long rope. It’s a kind of bird with two wings and four legs made of cork and, cardboard and brightly coloured paper.
Dugderan is an extremely popular event. Many people visit the festival and buy something before Ramadan starts. The festivities end with loud bangs on the big drum: ramadan has started.