The Lomban Festival in Jepara Regency is an ancient tradition that is still being preserved. Lomban parties are mostly carried out by cities on the north coast of Java. Such as in Tegal, Batang, Kendal, Pati, Juwana, Jepara Regency, and others. The celebration of the Lomban party is carried out during the week after Eid al-Fitr or the 6th day after Eid-ul-Fitr.
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The History of the Lomban Party
The Lomban party, or syawalan in Jepara, has long been an annual tradition. Most likely it has been around 1 century ago. At that time, the center of the Lomban holiday was in the bay of Jepara and ended on Kelor Island (when Jepara was still separated from the island of Java). At that time the Lomban Tradition was an activity that could be called the most lively for the people in Jepara, especially for the fishermen of Jepara.
On that day, people usually wake up in the morning to prepare various needs for the Lomban party. After that, the fishermen went to their respective boats (which are usually used for fishing). Accompanied by the sound of a typical gamelan, namely gamelan kebogiri, the fishing boats departed for Kelor Island. Arriving at the island they will then enjoy each other’s food and give each other (share) with others. After the event, they will make a pilgrimage to a tomb, namely the tomb of Encik Lanang. He was a figure who helped in the Bali war which was then for his services by the Dutch East Indies Government lent Kelor Island (now Kartini Beach) for him to live in. Cik Lanang is a figure who is respected by the fishermen of Jepara for being the forerunner of the fishing area in the local area.
Lomban Party Event Procession
At this time, the procession of the Lomban party usually begins with a carnival while carrying a kebo. The kebo animal will be slaughtered, then its head will be dumped on the beach of Jepara. Previously, a shadow puppet show was usually held at TPI Ujungbatu at night. Furthermore, the banning of buffalo heads is carried out in the waters of Jepara, or in the north of Panjang Island. Do not forget to also follow the Kupat Lepet Festival at Kartini Beach, Jepara. Not to forget, on the same day, shadow puppet art performances were also held at the Bulu Village TPI and Demaan Village TPI. Everything is done for the celebration of the Lomban party or Bodho Kupat (bodho Lomban).
The Lomban Party Becomes a Tourist Agenda
At first the tradition of the Lomban party was a party of fishermen in the Jepara Regency area. But over time, the development of the tradition of this Lomban party has become the property of the people of Jepara and has become an annual tourism agenda. The tradition of the Lomban party is the highlight of the Shawwalan Week Celebration. In addition to the celebration at the buffalo head larung procession, another tradition that is no less popular is the kupat and lepet (bodho kupat) party. At that time it coincided with the manufacture of kupat lepet in all levels of Japanese society. Generally, the people of Jepara celebrate the bodho kupat lepet party by cooking kupat (ketupat) and lepet.
Seeing such excitement during the Syawalan (Lomban) party, it is not wrong if the Jepara district government finally made the event a tourist agenda. Even now the local government has made it an official tourist agenda. The government has begun to dare to promote the syawalan party (lomban) to be used as a regional tourism program to lure tourists to enliven the ancestral traditions in the earth of Kartini, Jepara.
