LEBARAN KETUPAT SEBAGAI PRAKTIK SASTRA MULTIKULTURAL: STUDI SEMIOTIK TERHADAP SIMBOL DAN MAKNA TRADISI MAKAN TAKIR

Abstract

Abstract
This study examines the Lebaran Ketupat tradition as a form of multicultural literary practice through a semiotic approach to the symbols and meanings embedded in the makan takir tradition practiced in Palembang and East OKU Regency, South Sumatra. The study is grounded in the perspective that religious rituals do not merely reflect spiritual expressions but also function as cultural practices that shape collective identities, construct social relations, and foster values of tolerance within multicultural societies. This research employs a descriptive qualitative approach with a semiotic method, drawing on the theories of Charles Sanders Peirce and Roland Barthes to analyze cultural symbols such as ketupat, takir, and communal dining practices as sign systems that convey denotative, connotative, and mythological meanings.

The findings reveal that ketupat is interpreted as a symbol of purity, reconciliation, and communal identity, while takir represents a harmonious relationship between humans and nature as well as ecological awareness within the framework of Nusantara Islam. Furthermore, communal dining rituals function as narratives of togetherness and tolerance that transcend social, ethnic, and religious boundaries, serving as mechanisms for strengthening social bonds and facilitating communal reconciliation. These findings affirm that the Lebaran Ketupat tradition can be understood as a living cultural text that represents multicultural values, social equality, and harmony in diversity. Thus, this study contributes to the development of semiotic studies, symbolic anthropology, and multicultural literary studies, while also emphasizing the significance of local traditions as models of tolerance practices and social cohesion in Indonesia’s multiethnic society.

Keywords: Lebaran Ketupat; cultural symbols; tolerance.