Ethnomatematics: exploring the fundamentally mathematical activities and concepts of syawalan in Kaliwungu Kendal

Syawalan in Kaliwungu Kendal is a pilgrimage tradition to Islamic scholar grave who have a major influence in the spread of Islam in the surrounding area. This study aims to explore the fundamental mathematical activities and concept of the tradition. As the initial step of the research, the data about traditions are collected from various sources of literature. This research uses triangulation of sources by interviewing with religious leaders. The data are related to mathematical activities and concepts then. This article describes qualitatively about the results. The finding shows that it contains all of six fundamentally mathematical activities (explaining, designing, measuring, counting, locating dan playing). In the explaining activity, it contains a history of ritual and a shift in meaning to be a carnival. Then, the designing activity can be seen on the iron fence surrounding the tomb of Kyai Guru and various forms of objects in the carnival. Both contain geometry and transformation geometry. The locating activity comes about the determination of direction to graveyard and position of doing ritual syawalan. In mathematics, they can be solved by using optimization methods. Determining the size of blanket for a fence of Kyai Guru’s tomb belongs to the measuring activity. It can be done by using an integration or geometry concept. The counting activity is applied when people do a ritual “dzikr” (remembrance of Allah) by using a set number and playing as the last activity is visible in enjoying the rides and games that can be played in the carnival.