In Indonesia’s Eid al-Fitr tradition, the annual homecoming journey is called mudik.
Mudik is the large-scale movement of Indonesians from cities back to their hometowns or ancestral villages to celebrate Eid al-Fitr with family. The journey is closely associated with the end of Ramadan, when families gather, seek forgiveness, visit relatives and honor community ties.
The word is linked to the Indonesian expression udik, meaning inland or village, reflecting travel from urban centers toward rural places of origin. Although many people travel by car, buses, trains, ferries and airplanes, mudik is not a single religious ritual prescribed by Islamic law. It is a major social and cultural tradition that has developed around Eid celebrations in Indonesia.
The return journey to the city after the holiday is commonly called arus balik, meaning the return flow. Because millions may travel at roughly the same time, Indonesian authorities often prepare special transport, traffic and public-safety measures for the Eid period.