By SBS Language
Publication Date:
Eid al-Fitr fell on Friday, March 20, 2026 in Australia. In Indonesia, the date varied: Muhammadiyah also marked it on Friday, while the government and Nahdlatul Ulama set it on Saturday, March 21. For members of the Indonesian diaspora in Melbourne, the time difference added another difficulty to an already bittersweet occasion spent away from loved ones.
SBS Indonesian spoke to three members of the Indonesian diaspora in Melbourne: Sae, Ahimsa and Kiky, who all celebrated Eid al-Fitr away from their extended families in Indonesia this year.
Annisa Saraswati, known as Sae, is a Masters student at Monash University and lives with her husband and child. She said she was on the phone with her extended family in Indonesia and…