Kalender Jawa 2027

Rituals and holidays 2027

14 Javanese ritual days fall in 2027. Where the day is also a national holiday, the officially confirmed date is shown in green.

1. Rejeban – Isra Mi'raj

   27 Rejeb 1960 Be

   Wed 6 January

   Begins the evening of Tue 5 January

   Calculated (Asapon)Official holiday in Indonesia: 5 Jan

   On 27 Rejeb Muslims remember the Prophet's night journey to Jerusalem and ascent to heaven. On Java people gather in mosques and villages for sermons and recitation, often followed by a shared meal.

2. Ruwah – nyadran

   1 Ruwah 1960 Be

   Sun 10 January – Sun 7 February

   Calculated (Asapon)

   The name Ruwah comes from arwah, souls. During the month families clean their ancestors' graves, pray for the dead and hold kenduri, shared meals. The rice cake apem belongs to the season, its name popularly linked to the Arabic afwan, forgiveness.

3. Padusan

   29 Ruwah 1960 Be

   Sun 7 February

   Calculated (Asapon)

   On the day before the fast many bathe in springs, rivers or at home as a cleansing before Pasa. Thousands gather at well-known springs around Klaten and Boyolali.

4. 1 Pasa – the fast begins

   1 Pasa 1960 Be

   Mon 8 February

   Calculated (Asapon)Preliminary, set by moon sighting

   Pasa corresponds to Ramadan. The Javanese date is calculated, but when the fast actually starts in Indonesia is decided by the Ministry of Religious Affairs after sighting the new moon. Muhammadiyah calculates astronomically and may start a day earlier.

5. Malam Selikuran

   21 Pasa 1960 Be

   Sun 28 February

   Begins the evening of Sat 27 February

   Calculated (Asapon)

   The evening before 21 Pasa begins the last ten nights of the fast, when people seek lailat al-qadr, the night of power. In Surakarta the court walks in procession with lanterns and a thousand small rice cones, tumpeng sewu.

6. 1 Sawal – Lebaran

   1 Sawal 1960 Be

   Wed 10 March

   Calculated (Asapon)Official holiday in Indonesia: 10 Mar, 11 MarPreliminary, set by moon sighting

   The end of the fast, Idul Fitri, is the biggest holiday of the year. Millions travel home to their villages, mudik, and children kneel before their parents asking forgiveness in sungkeman. The courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta hold Grebeg Syawal with gunungan.

7. Bakda Kupat

   8 Sawal 1960 Be

   Wed 17 March

   Calculated (Asapon)

   A week after Lebaran, once those keeping six voluntary fast days in Sawal are done, people celebrate with ketupat, rice cooked in woven palm leaves. The custom is attributed to the saint Sunan Kalijaga.

8. Grebeg Besar – Idul Adha

   10 Besar 1960 Be

   Mon 17 May

   Calculated (Asapon)Official holiday in Indonesia: 17 May

   The Feast of Sacrifice on 10 Besar. Animals are slaughtered and the meat shared with neighbours and the poor, and the courts hold Grebeg Besar. In Demak the day has its own large procession to the town's old mosque.

9. 1 Sura – Javanese New Year

   1 Sura 1961 Wawu

   Sun 6 June

   Begins the evening of Sat 5 June

   Calculated (Asapon)Official holiday in Indonesia: 6 Jun

   The night before, malam satu Sura, is the most important night of the year. In Surakarta the court carries its sacred heirlooms through the city behind the white buffaloes Kyai Slamet, and in Yogyakarta people walk silently around the palace walls in the mubeng beteng ritual. The whole month of Sura is seen as solemn, and many avoid marrying then.

10. Rebo Wekasan

    23 Sapar 1961 Wawu

    Wed 28 July

    Calculated (Asapon)

    The last Wednesday of Sapar. According to old belief the year's misfortunes are sent down that day, so people pray for protection, share food with neighbours and drink water that prayers have been read over.

11. Sekaten

    6 Mulud 1961 Wawu

    Mon 9 August – Sat 14 August

    Begins the evening of Sun 8 August

    Calculated (Asapon)

    A week when the courts' sacred gamelan orchestras play by the grand mosques of Yogyakarta and Surakarta, with a fair around them. The tradition is linked to the Muslim saints Wali Songo, who used music to draw people to Islam. The name is usually traced to syahadatain, the Islamic declaration of faith.

12. Grebeg Mulud

    12 Mulud 1961 Wawu

    Sun 15 August

    Calculated (Asapon)Official holiday in Indonesia: 15 Aug

    The Prophet's birthday is marked by the court carrying gunungan, mountains of rice, vegetables and cakes, in procession to the mosque. Once blessed, people rush forward to grab a piece, believed to bring good fortune. Every eighth year, in the windu year Dal, Yogyakarta holds an extra large Grebeg Mulud Dal.

13. Rejeban – Isra Mi'raj

    27 Rejeb 1961 Wawu

    Sun 26 December

    Begins the evening of Sat 25 December

    Calculated (Asapon)Official holiday in Indonesia: 26 Dec

    On 27 Rejeb Muslims remember the Prophet's night journey to Jerusalem and ascent to heaven. On Java people gather in mosques and villages for sermons and recitation, often followed by a shared meal.

14. Ruwah – nyadran

    1 Ruwah 1961 Wawu

    Thu 30 December – Thu 27 January

    Calculated (Asapon)

    The name Ruwah comes from arwah, souls. During the month families clean their ancestors' graves, pray for the dead and hold kenduri, shared meals. The rice cake apem belongs to the season, its name popularly linked to the Arabic afwan, forgiveness.

Javanese months in 2027

Glossary

Javanese and Indonesian words used on this page. Underlined words in the text can be clicked for a short explanation.

Apem

A small fermented rice cake that belongs to Ruwah and nyadran.

Asapon

Short for Alip Selasa Pon, the kurup in use since 1936. The name means 1 Sura in an Alip year falls on a Selasa Pon.

Bakda Kupat

The ketupat feast a week after Lebaran. Bakda means after.

Besar

The twelfth month, matching Dhul Hijjah, the month of the Feast of Sacrifice. Besar means great.

Demak

A town on northern Java and seat of Java's first Muslim sultanate in the late 15th century.

Gamelan

A Javanese orchestra made up mainly of bronze gongs and metallophones.

Grebeg

The court's ceremonial procession, held three times a year: in Mulud, Sawal and Besar.

Gunungan

A mountain of rice, vegetables and cakes carried in the Grebeg. Gunung means mountain.

Hijri

The Islamic lunar calendar, counted from the Prophet's migration to Medina in 622.

Iduladha

The Feast of Sacrifice on 10 Besar, when animals are slaughtered and the meat shared.

Idulfitri

The holiday ending Ramadan, on 1 Sawal.

Isra Mikraj

The remembrance of the Prophet's night journey to Jerusalem and ascent to heaven, on 27 Rejeb.

Kenduri

A shared ritual meal with prayers, also called slametan.

Ketupat

Rice cooked in a woven pouch of palm leaves. Called kupat in Javanese.

Kraton

The palace of a sultan or sunan. In Yogyakarta and Surakarta the courts still play a key role in ceremonies.

Kurup

A period of 120 years, 15 windu. After each kurup the calendar is adjusted by one day to follow the moon.

Kyai Slamet

The white sacred buffaloes of the Surakarta court that lead the New Year's night procession. Kyai is an honorific for revered people and objects.

Lailatul qadr

The night of power, when according to Islam the Quran began to be revealed. Sought during the last ten nights of the fast.

Lebaran

The everyday Indonesian word for Idul Fitri, the holiday at the end of the fast.

Malam satu Sura

The night of 1 Sura, the Javanese New Year. Held the evening before, since the day begins at sunset.

Malam Selikuran

The night of 21 Pasa. Selikur means twenty-one.

Mataram

A Javanese sultanate from the 16th to 18th century. The courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta are its heirs.

Mubeng beteng

Walking around the palace walls of Yogyakarta in silence on New Year's night. Roughly means around the fortress.

Mudik

The great journey home to the village before Lebaran, when millions of Indonesians travel at once.

Muhammadiyah

One of Indonesia's largest Muslim organisations, founded in 1912 in Yogyakarta. Sets holiday dates by astronomical calculation.

Mulud

The third month, matching Rabi al-Awwal. The month of the Prophet Muhammad's birth.

Neptu

A number value for each weekday and pasaran day. The sum is used to choose auspicious days.

Nyadran

The custom of cleaning ancestors' graves and praying for the dead during Ruwah, before the fast.

Padusan

A ritual bath on the day before the fast. From adus, to bathe.

Pasa

The ninth month, matching Ramadan. The word means fasting.

Pasaran

Java's five-day week with the days Legi, Pahing, Pon, Wage and Kliwon. The name comes from pasar, market, since markets used to follow it.

Ramadan

The Islamic month of fasting. Called Pasa in Javanese.

Rebo Wekasan

The last Wednesday of Sapar. Rebo means Wednesday and wekasan last.

Rejeb

The seventh month, matching the Islamic Rajab.

Rejeban

The celebrations during Rejeb in memory of Isra Mi'raj.

Ruwah

The eighth month, matching Shaban. The name comes from arwah, souls, and the month is devoted to the dead.

Saka

The Hindu-Javanese solar calendar counting from the year 78. Used on Java before 1633 and still alive on Bali.

Sapar

The second month, matching the Islamic Safar.

Sawal

The tenth month, matching Shawwal. It begins with Lebaran.

Sekaten

The week before the Prophet's birthday, when the courts' sacred gamelan orchestras play by the grand mosque.

SKB 3 Menteri

A joint decree from three Indonesian ministers that sets the national holidays each year.

Sultan Agung

Ruler of Mataram 1613–1645 who created the Islamic-Javanese calendar.

Sunan Kalijaga

One of the Wali Songo, known for using Javanese arts such as gamelan and shadow puppetry to teach Islam.

Sungkeman

When children kneel before parents and elders and ask for forgiveness.

Sura

The first month of the Javanese calendar, matching the Islamic Muharram. Seen as a sacred and solemn month.

Syahadatain

The two-part Islamic declaration of faith: there is no god but God, and Muhammad is his messenger.

Tumpeng sewu

A thousand small rice cones. Tumpeng is a cone-shaped festive rice dish and sewu means a thousand.

Wali Songo

The nine saints who, by tradition, spread Islam on Java in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Weton

The combination of weekday and pasaran day, for example Kamis Legi. Repeats every 35 days and works as a kind of Javanese birthday.

WIB

Waktu Indonesia Barat, Western Indonesian Time. UTC+7, used on Java and Sumatra.

Windu

A cycle of eight Javanese years: Alip, Ehe, Jimawal, Je, Dal, Be, Wawu and Jimakir.