Preserving Cultural Heritage and Social Cohesion: The Tukuder Festival at Al-Muttaqin Mosque, Kendal, Indonesia
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The Tukuder Festival at Jami Al-Muttaqin Mosque in Kaliwungu, Kendal, Central Java, Indonesia, is a vibrant example of living Islamic heritage that reinforces cultural identity, religious continuity, and community resilience. Held annually to welcome the holy month of Ramadan, the festival integrates ritual practices, traditional foodways, and intergenerational participation rooted in the values of Islam Nusantara. This study investigates how the festival transmits intangible cultural heritage, particularly through the symbolic meanings of traditional dishes such as Telur Mimi, Sumpil, and Momoh. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through participatory observation and in-depth interviews with local vendors, religious leaders, government officials, and cultural practitioners, as well as document analysis. Findings reveal that the Tukuder Festival strengthens social cohesion that fosters communal bonds. The culinary elements, deeply embedded in local religious symbolism, reflect values of purity, solidarity, and gratitude. In addition, the active role of local government demonstrates how institutional collaboration contributes to the continuity and revitalization of community-based traditions. The Tukuder Festival exemplifies how localized Islamic traditions can be maintained and revitalized as living heritage in response to changing social and cultural dynamics.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
• Agustapraja, H. R., & Aslamiyah, S. S. (2022). The identification of the pattern of Java Islamic City Catur Gatra Tunggal in Lamongan. Journal of Islamic Architecture, 7(1), 67–72. https://doi.org/10.18860/jia.v7i1.13263
• Aikawa-Faure, N. (2008). Intangible heritage. In L. Smith & N. Akagawa (Eds.), Intangible Heritage. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203884973
• Alshehaby, F. (2020). Cultural heritage protection in Islamic tradition. International Journal of Cultural Property, 27(3), 291–322. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0940739120000259
• Arizpe, L., & Amescua, C. (2013). Anthropological perspectives on intangible cultural heritage. In L. Arizpe & C. Amescua (Eds.), UNESCO on the ground: Local perspectives on intangible cultural heritage (Vol. 6, pp. 71–77). Berghahn Books.
• Arsal, T., Setyowati, D. L., & Hardati, P. (2023). The inheritance of local wisdom for maintaining peace in multicultural society. Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research, 15(2), 137–151. https://doi.org/10.1108/JACPR-01-2022-0673
• Asmelash, A. G., & Kumar, S. (2019). The structural relationship between tourist satisfaction and sustainable heritage tourism development in Tigrai, Ethiopia. Heliyon, 5(3), Article e01335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01335
• Azra, A. (2004). The Origins of Islamic Reformism in Southeast Asia: Networks of Malay-Indonesian and Middle Eastern “Ulama” in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Allen & Unwin.
• Botton, M. L. (2009). The ecological importance of horseshoe crabs in Estuarine and Coastal Communities: A review and speculative summary. In J. T. Tanacredi, M. L. Botton, & D. Smith (Eds.), Biology and Conservation of Horseshoe Crabs (pp. 45–63). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-89959-6_3
• Burga, M. A., & Damopolii, M. (2022). Reinforcing religious moderation through local culture-based pesantren. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 8(2), 145–162. https://doi.org/10.15575/jpi.v8i2.19879
• Carter, N., Bryant-Lukosius, D., DiCenso, A., Blythe, J., & Neville, A. J. (2014). The use of triangulation in qualitative research. Oncology Nursing Forum, 41(5), 545–547. https://doi.org/10.1188/14.ONF.545-547
• Chan, J., To, H.-P., & Chan, E. (2006). Reconsidering social cohesion: Developing a definition and analytical framework for empirical research. Social Indicators Research, 75(2), 273–302. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-005-2118-1
• Cholil, A. M. (2018, June 28). Masjid Al-Muttaqin Kaliwungu jadi tumpuan kehidupan warga [Kaliwungu’s Al-Muttaqin Mosque becomes a lifeline for residents]. NU Online. https://nu.or.id/daerah/masjid-al-muttaqin-kaliwungu-jadi-tumpuan-kehidupan-warga-bjd5x
• Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
• Díaz Solano, P., Rius Ulldemolins, J., & Pecourt Gracia, J. (2024). Festive culture, social hierarchisation, and urban inequality: Analysis of the fallas of València (1981–2019). Journal of Urban Affairs, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/07352166.2024.2393837
• Foo, R., & Krishnapillai, G. (2019). Preserving the intangible living heritage in the George Town World Heritage Site, Malaysia. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 14(4), 358–370. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2018.1549054
• Fuadi, M. A., Mahbub, M., Ali, N. H., Safitry, M., & Dewi, I. A. Kartika. (2023). Integration between Islamic revelation and local culture: A Study of theology and the indigenisation of Islam in Indonesia. Pharos Journal of Theology, 105(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.46222/pharosjot.10527
• Geertz, C. (1976). The religion of Java. University of Chicago Press.
• Golinelli, G. M. (2015). Cultural heritage and value creation: Towards new pathways. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08527-2
• Graham, B. (2002). Heritage as knowledge: Capital or culture? Urban Studies, 39(5–6), 1003–1017. https://doi.org/10.1080/00420980220128426
• Harnish, D. (2021). Tolerance of ambiguity: Negotiating religion and sustaining the Lingsar festival and its performing arts in Lombok, Indonesia. Religions, 12(8), Article 626. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12080626
• Harrison, R. (2013). Heritage: Critical approaches. Routledge.
• Heersmink, R. (2023). Materialised identities: Cultural identity, collective memory, and artifacts. Review of Philosophy and Psychology, 14(1), 249–265. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13164-021-00570-5
• Hellman, J. (2008). The significance of eating during Ramadan: Consumption and exchange of food in a village in West Java. Food and Foodways, 16(3), 201–226. https://doi.org/10.1080/07409710802304176
• Hernández-Rojas, R. D., Huete-Alcocer, N., & Hidalgo-Fernández, A. (2022). Analysis of the impact of traditional gastronomy on loyalty to a World Heritage destination. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 30, Article 100585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2022.100585
• Indracahya, W. M. (2024, February 27). Nikmatnya momoh, kudapan unik khas Kendal yang menggoda selera [The deliciousness of momoh, a unique Kendal snack that tempts the taste buds]. Indotren. https://www.indotren.com/gaya-hidup/32211986141/nikmatnya-momoh-kudapan-unik-khas-kendal-yang-menggoda-selera
• Jick, T. D. (1979). Mixing qualitative and quantitative methods: Triangulation in action. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24(4), Article 602. https://doi.org/10.2307/2392366
• Khaeroni, A. N. (2023). Analisis nilai-nilai pendidikan Islam dalam tradisi dugderan di Kota Semarang [An analysis of Islamic educational values in the Dugderan Tradition in Semarang City] [Wahid Hasyim University]. https://arpusda.semarangkota.go.id/uploads/data_karya_ilmiah/20230829091209-2023-08-29data_karya_ilmiah091145.pdf
• Khazbulatov, A. R., & Nurpeiis, M. (2012). The preservation of cultural heritage: Continuity and memory. International Scholarly and Scientific Research & Innovation, 6(6), 1026–1028. https://publications.waset.org/1489/the-preservation-of-cultural-heritage-continuity-and-memory
• Kholid, M. N., Fitriana, L., Adnan, M., Hendriyanto, A., & Sahara, S. (2022). Ethnomathematics: The discovery of mathematical concepts in the Sekaten tradition. AIP Conference Proceedings, 2566, Article 020012. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0114930
• Kurin, R. (2004). Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in the 2003 UNESCO convention: A critical appraisal. Museum International, 56(1–2), 66–77. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1350-0775.2004.00459.x
• Ma’sum, S. (2022, April 1). Inilah Tukuder tradisi warga Kaliwungu Kendal sambut Ramadhan sempat vakum dua tahun [This is Tukuder, a tradition of Kaliwungu Kendal residents to welcome Ramadan that had paused for two years]. Tribun Jateng. https://jateng.tribunnews.com/2022/04/01/inilah-tukuder-tradisi-warga-kaliwungu-kendal-sambut-ramadhan-sempat-vakum-dua-tahun
• Matecic, I., & Barisic, P. (2019). The importance of gastronomy and culinary practices in the creation of intangible cultural heritage-based tourism products. In Proceedings of the FEB Zagreb 10th International Odyssey Conference on Economics and Business (pp. 815–826). University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business.
• Maulana Rigitta, N., & Auliya, A. (2023). Tradisi dugderan sebagai strategi promosi pemasaran wisata di Kota Semarang [The Dugderan tradition as a tourism marketing promotion strategy in Semarang City]. Jurnal Sosial Humaniora Terapan, 5(2), 145–152. https://doi.org/10.7454/jsht.v5i2.1095
• Mendoza, M. A. D., De La Hoz Franco, E., & Gómez, J. E. G. (2023). Technologies for the preservation of cultural heritage—A systematic review of the literature. Sustainability, 15(2), Article 1059. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021059
• Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia. (2016). Keputusan Menteri Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Nomor 244/P/2016 tentang penetapan warisan budaya takbenda Indonesia tahun 2016 [Decree of the Minister of Education and Culture Number 244/P/2016 on the designation of Indonesian intangible cultural heritage in 2016]. https://budbas.data.kemdikbud.go.id/unduhan/SK%20Penetapan%202016.pdf
• Mintz, S. W., & Du Bois, C. M. (2002). The anthropology of food and eating. Annual Review of Anthropology, 31(1), 99–119. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.anthro.32.032702.131011
• Muaznanah, S. (2006). Meaning revealed: Grebeg Besar in Demak, Central Java. Studia Islamika, 13(3), 435–465. https://doi.org/10.15408/sdi.v13i3.558
• Nasuhi, H. (2017). Shakhṣīyat Sunan Kalijaga fī Taqālīd Mataram al-Islāmīyah [The personality of Sunan Kalijaga in the traditions of Islamic Mataram]. Studia Islamika, 24(1), 151–184. http://dx.doi.org/10.15408/sdi.v24i1.5222
• Nic Craith, M., Kockel, U., & Lloyd, K. (2018). The convention for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage. In M. Nic Craith, U. Kockel, & K. Lloyd (Eds.), Safeguarding intangible heritage (pp. 118–132). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429507137-9
• Panzera, E. (2022). The role of cultural heritage in shaping territorial identities. In E. Panzera (Ed.), Cultural heritage and territorial identity synergies and development impact on European regions (pp. 117–143). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94468-1_5
• Partarakis, N., Kaplanidi, D., Doulgeraki, P., Karuzaki, E., Petraki, A., Metilli, D., Bartalesi, V., Adami, I., Meghini, C., & Zabulis, X. (2021). Representation and presentation of culinary tradition as cultural heritage. Heritage, 4(2), 612–640. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage4020036
• Perry, B., Ager, L., & Sitas, R. (2020). Cultural heritage entanglements: Festivals as integrative sites for sustainable urban development. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 26(6), 603–618. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2019.1578987
• Priyatin, S., & Utomo, A. P. (2022, April 2). Tukudher, tradisi masyarakat Kendal menyambut bulan Ramadhan [Tukudher, a Kendal community tradition to welcome the month of Ramadan]. Kompas.com.
• Priyatin, S., & Utomo, A. P. (2023, March 23). Tradisi Tukudher di Kendal, ratusan masyarakat berebut membeli telur mimi [Tukudher tradition in Kendal, hundreds of people scramble to buy Telur Mimi]. Kompas.com.
• Purnamasari, H. R. (2023, March 20). Sambut Ramadhan, Pemkot Semarang siap gelar tradisi Dugderan [Welcoming Ramadan, Semarang City Government ready to organise the Dugderan tradition]. RRI.
https://rri.co.id/lain-lain/192653/sambut-ramadhan-pemkot-semarang-siap-gelar-tradisi-dugderan
• Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. Simon and Schuster. https://doi.org/10.1145/358916.361990
• Republic of Indonesia. (2017, May 24). Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 5 Tahun 2017 tentang Pemajuan Kebudayaan [Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 5 of 2017 concerning the Advancement of Culture]. Lembaran Negara Republik Indonesia Tahun 2017 Nomor 104. Sumber: LL SETNEG: 31 HLM. https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/37642/uu-no-5-tahun-2017
• Rico, T. (2020). Is there an “Islamic” practice for the preservation of cultural heritage? In B. J. Walker, T. Insoll, & C. Fenwick (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Islamic Archaeology (pp. 690–705). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199987870.013.27
• Ridwan, R., & Fuad Zain, M. (2021). Religious symbols in determining the beginning and end of Ramadan in Indonesia. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 77(4), Article a6397. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v77i4.6397
• Rukayah, R. S., Vania, S. A., & Abdullah, M. (2023). Old Semarang City: The sustainability of traditional city patterns in Java. Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, 22(1), 68–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/13467581.2021.2024196
• Saehu, R., & Muchtar, I. H. (2023). Religious pluralism and harmony among Buddhist - Muslim communities living in East Lampung, Indonesia. Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization, 13(1), 245–256. https://doi.org/10.32350/jitc.131.17
• Safwaini. (2021). Manajemen Masjid Besar Al-Muttaqin, Kaliwungu, Kendal [Management of Al-Muttaqin Grand Mosque, Kaliwungu, Kendal] (Undergraduate thesis, Walisongo State Islamic University).
https://eprints.walisongo.ac.id/id/eprint/18575/1/1401036064_Safwaini_Lengkap%20Tugas%20Akhir.pdf
• Santini, C., Cavicchi, A., & Belletti, E. (2013). Preserving the authenticity of food and wine festivals: The case of Italy. Il Capitale Culturale Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage, VIII, 251–271. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.13138/2039-2362/558
• Setiawan, D. E., & Stevanus, K. (2023). Significance of Islam Nusantara values in an Indonesian multicultural society. Journal of Al-Tamaddun, 18(1), 203–214. https://doi.org/10.22452/JAT.vol18no1.17
• Shalihin, N., Firdaus, F., Yulia, Y., & Wardi, U. (2020). Ramadan and strengthening of the social capital of Indonesian Muslim communities. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 76(3), Article a6241. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i3.6241
• Smith, L. (2006). Uses of heritage. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203602263
• Smith, L., & Akagawa, N. (2008). Introduction. In L. Smith & N. Akagawa (Eds.), Intangible Heritage (p. 282). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203884973
• Snowball, J. D., & Antrobus, G. G. (2021). Festival value in multicultural contexts: City festivals in South Africa. Tourism Economics, 27(6), 1256–1275. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816620932808
• Soini, K., & Dessein, J. (2016). Culture-sustainability relation: Towards a conceptual framework. Sustainability (Switzerland), 8(2), Article 167. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8020167
• Stefano, M. L., & Davis, P. (Eds.). (2016). The Routledge Companion to Intangible Cultural Heritage. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315716404
• Tavares, D. S., Alves, F. B., & Vásquez, I. B. (2021). The relationship between intangible cultural heritage and urban resilience: A systematic literature review. Sustainability, 13(22), Article 12921. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212921
• Thohir, M. (2022). Islam and local wisdom: The Study of “ Islam Nusantara ” in the cultural perspective. E3S Web of Conferences, 359, Article 04004. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202235904004
• Thorkildsen, A., & Ekman, M. (2013). The complexity of becoming: Collaborative planning and cultural heritage. Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, 3(2), 148–162. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCHMSD-10-2012-0053
• UNESCO. (2003). What is intangible cultural heritage? https://ich.unesco.org/en/what-is-intangible-heritage-00003
• UNESCO. (2013, March). Safeguarding and transmitting our heritage (ERI.2013/WS/2). United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000220416
• UNESCO. (2019). Living heritage and education. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. https://ich.unesco.org/doc/src/46212-EN.pdf
• Wan Ali, W. N. A., Hassan, N., Abdullah, M., Ismail, M., & Johari, N. (2020). An analytical study of mosques and public spaces: Integration space for spiritual and community bonding. In S. Sorooshian (Ed.), Charting a sustainable future of ASEAN in business and social sciences (pp. 237–252). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-3859-9_22
• Wardhani, A. E. (2023). The value of Islamic education in the Megengan Tradition at Kaliaren Village. ALSYS, 3(3), 284–296. https://doi.org/10.58578/alsys.v3i3.1063
• Wimrison, R. (2023, April 10). Melongok jejak Kota Santri Kaliwungu [Explore the trace of the Santri City of Kaliwungu]. Media Indonesia.
https://epaper.mediaindonesia.com/detail/melongok-jejak-kota-santri-kaliwungu
• Winter, T. (2014). Heritage conservation futures in an age of shifting global power. Journal of Social Archaeology, 14(3), 319–339. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469605314532749
• Woodward, M. R. (1989). Islam in Java: Normative piety and mysticism in the Sultanate of Yogyakarta. University of Arizona Press.
• Younas, A., Fàbregues, S., Durante, A., Escalante, E. L., Inayat, S., & Ali, P. (2023). Proposing the “MIRACLE” narrative framework for providing thick description in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22, 1–13. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069221147162
• Zabulis, X., Meghini, C., Partarakis, N., Beisswenger, C., Dubois, A., Fasoula, M., Nitti, V., Ntoa, S., Adami, I., Chatziantoniou, A., Bartalesi, V., Metilli, D., Stivaktakis, N., Patsiouras, N., Doulgeraki, P., Karuzaki, E., Stefanidi, E., Qammaz, A., Kaplanidi, D., … Galanakis, G. (2020). Representation and preservation of heritage crafts. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(4), Article 1641. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041461
• Zocchi, D. M., Fontefrancesco, M. F., Corvo, P., & Pieroni, A. (2021). Recognising, safeguarding, and promoting food heritage: Challenges and prospects for the future of sustainable food systems. Sustainability, 13(17), Article 9510. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179510
