Spiritual Values of THR Givers and Recipients and Eid Gift Packages
By: Jacob Ereste
Freelance Journalist
Giving THR (Holiday Allowance) and gifts to celebrate religious holidays is truly beautiful because it signifies a sense of care, attention, sympathy or empathy from the giver to the recipient. Even so, it does not necessarily mean that the giver has advantages over the recipient, except for sincerity for the giver and gratitude for the recipient. So that the value of its benefits has a positive impact on both parties from a spiritual perspective that is closely related to the implementation of fasting and the celebration of Eid.
The value of sincerity from the giver of THR and Eid gifts must have an element of satisfaction, happiness like the recipient of THR and Eid gifts with full gratitude that the pleasure felt by others – even if only a little or just a little – has brought happiness and joy too.
In understanding the spiritual dimension, such is the value of giving THR and Eid gifts that stirs a sense of gratitude for the recipient. That attention, care and a kind of social solidarity with spiritual nuances are able to grow and maintain a sense of gratitude for all the blessings that can be felt, not only in the physical sense, but also the psychological one that resides in the heart, like other unspoken spiritual vibrations.
At least, by sending and receiving THR and Eid gifts, the bonds of resistance, partnership and brotherhood become more lasting and strong from the scourge of suffering that may be very much felt when the national economic condition is deteriorating. Because for those who give THR and Eid gifts, it can be done in the current difficult national economic conditions, it is a commendable thing, if not an extraordinary choice of attitude.
Meanwhile, for the recipient, it can create a sense of emotion and amazement, not only because they can enjoy the joy and happiness of Eid, but more importantly of all that is loyalty – friends, bonds of brotherhood that are far beyond economic calculations or self-interest, except for the mere vibration of love and affection that cannot be described by words.
A series of similar spiritual events, may never happen in other traditions or cultures of society, for example for those who already have a materialistic and individualistic attitude like the innate nature of capitalism that has metamorphosed into neo-lib as part of the cultural friction that has also hit Indonesia.
This is part of the resume of the informal weekly discussion Monday-Thursday at the GMRI Secretariat (Indonesian Moral Reconciliation Movement) Jl. Ir. H. Juanda No. 4 A, Central Jakarta, Monday, March 24, 2025.
Therefore, the tradition or culture of giving and receiving THR or Eid gifts can be understood as an effort to maintain and develop the nation’s culture so as not to forget the Pancasila philosophy which is now often said by many people to be just a slogan. At least, giving and receiving THR and Eid gifts can be realized as a manifestation of part of the belief in our national and state system which is actually full of family values. Mutual cooperation that does not exist in the social systems of other nations.
Banten, March 25, 2025
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