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September 11, 2026Short & citedBlog
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How It Works • Meme

Tung Tung Sahur

Tung Tung Sahur is a viral AI-generated internet meme and fictional character that emerged on Indonesian TikTok in 2025.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

Tung Tung Sahur is a viral AI-generated internet meme and fictional character that emerged on Indonesian TikTok in 2025, depicting an anthropomorphic wooden drum-like figure linked to Ramadan sahur traditions.

What it is

The meme centers on a wooden, human-like character inspired by a kentongan (traditional Indonesian slit drum), often shown holding a bat or club. It is associated with the Indonesian Ramadan practice of waking people for sahur using drums or percussion, with the repeated "tung" sound as an onomatopoeic imitation of drumming.

Origin and spread

The character is traced to an early 2025 TikTok post by Indonesian creator @noxaasht. It quickly circulated in Indonesian social media before spreading more broadly through AI-generated “brainrot” videos and ironic meme edits, becoming part of remix culture across TikTok and other short-form video platforms.

Cultural context

The phrase refers to sahur, the pre-dawn meal eaten before fasting during Ramadan. The chant and the character’s drum-like design connect the meme to real wake-up drumming traditions used in parts of Indonesia and Malaysia. In meme lore, it is portrayed as an eerie creature that appears when sahur is ignored.

In short

  • AI-generated meme from Indonesian TikTok, February 2025
  • Based on a kentongan drum and sahur wake-up traditions
  • Spread via “brainrot” videos and remixes
  • Not a real folklore figure, but a modern internet creation
Canadian angle

Canadian readers may encounter the meme through global TikTok and Instagram trends, especially during Ramadan among Canadian Muslim communities and in broader internet culture.

Quick questions

What is Tung Tung Sahur?
It is a viral AI-generated internet meme featuring a fictional wooden creature associated with Ramadan sahur traditions.
Where did Tung Tung Sahur come from?
Available coverage traces it to an early 2025 TikTok post by Indonesian creator @noxaasht.
Why does the meme repeat “tung tung tung”?
The sound imitates the beat of drums or percussion used to wake people for sahur.

Sources

  1. Know Your Meme — https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/tung-tung-tung-sahur
    Supports: Description of the meme, its Indonesian context, the sahur reference, and its AI-generated character form.
  2. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tung_Tung_Tung_Sahur
    Supports: Claims about the February 2025 origin, creator @noxaasht, kentongan inspiration, and alternate names.
  3. Dailymotion — https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9gybw8
    Supports: Transcript describing the first-posted AI image, the 'sahur three times' lore, and the drum-based cultural explanation.
  4. The Express Tribune — https://tribune.com.pk/story/2541331/has-the-viral-tung-tung-tung-sahur-meme-crossed-your-feed-yet-heres-all-about-the-trend
    Supports: Mainstream summary of the meme’s origin, wooden character depiction, and Ramadan wake-up tradition reference.
  5. Hindustan Times — https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/tung-tung-tung-sahur-what-is-the-new-tiktok-meme-and-why-is-it-trending-101745345341732.html
    Supports: Explains the meme’s viral spread, sahur meaning, and the drumbeat/onomatopoeia interpretation.