9 Unique Javanese Traditional Ceremonies and Their Descriptions

The Javanese are known as the tribe with the largest population in all of Indonesia. Wherever in the archipelago, the Javanese are always there. Besides being known for having friendly personalities, the Javanese people also have an extraordinary history of tradition and culture, just like other tribes. This is evidenced, for example, by the many types of dance, music, traditional houses, and traditional ceremonies it has.

Javanese Traditional Ceremony

A traditional ceremony is a ritual that is carried out jointly by groups of people who still have ethnic, tribal, and cultural links to achieve goals that originate from their ancestral and ancestral values. In Java itself, there are several traditional ceremonies that are quite unique and must be introduced to the younger generation so that this ancestral heritage is preserved and maintained. What are the Javanese traditional ceremonies? Here's the information for you.

1. Kenduren Ceremony

The first Javanese traditional ceremony is kenduren or slametan. This ceremony is carried out from generation to generation as a commemoration of joint prayers led by traditional elders or religious leaders. The acculturation of Islamic and Javanese culture in the 16th century AD made this ceremony undergo major changes, apart from the Hindu/Buddhist prayers that were originally used to be replaced with Islamic prayers, offerings and offerings are also no longer used in this ceremony.

Based on its purpose, this Javanese traditional ceremony is divided into several types which include:

1. Kenduren wetonan (wedalan) is a kenduren ceremony that is held on someone's birthday (weton) as a means to pray for longevity together.

2. Kenduren sabanan (muntungan) is a ceremony performed to raise the ancestors of the Javanese before entering the fasting month. This kenduren ceremony is generally carried out at the end of the month of Sya'ban, before the Nykar ritual or the sowing of flowers on their ancestral graves is carried out.

3. Kenduren likuran is a kenduren ceremony that is held on the 21st of the fasting month and is carried out to commemorate the revelation of the Qur'an or Nujulul Quran.

4. Kenduren ba'dan is a celebration that is held on 1 Shawwal or on Eid al-Fitr, the purpose of which is to bring down the ancestral spirits to their resting places.

5. Kenduren kata is a ceremonial ritual that is held in a Javanese family and has a purpose or goal, for example when they want to send prayers to ancestral spirits, circumcisions, weddings, and so on. Kenduren muludan is a Javanese traditional ceremony that is held every 12th of the month of Maulud with the aim of commemorating the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad SAW.

2. Grebeg Ceremony

Apart from the kenduren ceremony, in Java, it is also known as the Grebeg Ceremony. This ceremony is held 3 times a year, namely on 12 Mulud (the third month), 1 Sawal (the tenth month), and 10 Big (the twelfth month). This ceremony was held as a form of royal gratitude for God's gifts and blessings.

3. Sekaten Ceremony

Sekaten is a Javanese traditional ceremony that is held within seven days as a form of commemorating the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. Based on its origin, the word Sekaten which is the name of the ceremony comes from the term Syahadatain, which in Islam is known as the sentence of monotheism. The sekaten ceremony was carried out by removing the two sets of gamelan sekati from the palace, namely gamelan Kyai Gunturmadu and gamelan Kyai Guntursari to be placed in front of the Surakarta Grand Mosque.

4. Ruwatan Ceremony

The ruwatan ceremony is a Javanese traditional ceremony that is carried out with the aim of purifying or purifying a person from all bad luck and providing safety in living life. An example of the ruwatan ceremony is the one carried out in the Dieng Plateau. Dreadlocked children who are considered descendants of buto or giants must be treated for a ritual immediately to be free from all harm.

5. Javanese Traditional Wedding Ceremony

In Javanese traditional marriages, a wedding ceremony is also known which is very unique and sacred. There are many stages that must be passed in this Javanese traditional ceremony, starting from splashing, splashing, grinding ceremonies, midodareni, srah-srahan or peningsetan, nyantri, panggih or bride-to-be gathering ceremonies, balancing orders, the wiji dadi ritual, the Kacar Kucur or Tampa ritual. rich, dhahar klimah or dhahar kembul rituals, sungkeman ceremonies and so on.

6. Tedak Siten Ceremony

The tedak siten ceremony is a Javanese traditional ceremony that is held for babies aged 8 months when they start learning to walk. This ceremony in several other areas is also known as the ceremony down the ground. The purpose of holding this ceremony is none other than to express the gratitude of the parents for the health of their child who has started to be able to walk in the natural surroundings.

7. Tingkepan Ceremony

The tingkepan ceremony (mitoni) is a Javanese traditional ceremony that is performed when a woman is 7 months pregnant. At this ceremony, the woman will be bathed in the water of the setaman flower accompanied by prayers from the elders, so that her pregnancy will be safe until the delivery process later.

8. Kebo Keboan Ceremony

The majority of the Javanese people work as farmers and also have their own ceremonial rituals. Kebo-keboan – as the name implies, is a traditional Javanese ceremony that is carried out to reject all misfortunes and misfortunes on the plants they plant, so that these plants can grow well and produce a satisfying harvest. In this ceremony, 30 people dressed like buffalo will be paraded around the village. They will dress up and walk like buffalo plowing a field.

9. Larung Offering Ceremony

The larung sesaji ceremony is a ceremony held by the Javanese who live on the north and south coasts of Java. This ceremony is held as an expression of gratitude for the catch of fish while they are at sea and as a request that they are always given safety when in business. Various foodstuffs and animals that have been slaughtered will be floated or washed into the sea every 1st of Muharram in this Javanese traditional ceremony.

So, those are the nine Javanese traditional ceremonies that are still being preserved and carried out today. Interesting right..? So that this article can be even better, we will continue to update it along with additional information that continues to grow. If there are suggestions or criticisms, please convey them through the comments column.

Baca Selengkapnya

Philosophy 4 Traditional Houses of North Sumatra (Batak)

Even though the Bolon traditional house is considered the only nationally recognized identity for the traditional North Sumatran house, did you know that the Batak people in North Sumatra actually have more than one residential architectural style? The Batak tribe itself is divided into several sub-tribes, namely the Karo Batak, Simalungun Batak, Pakpak Batak, Toba Batak, Angkola Batak, and Mandailing Batak, each tribe having different traditional house architectural arts. In the following, we will discuss some of the traditional North Sumatran houses of the Batak children one by one. North Sumatra Traditional House.

1. Bolon Traditional House, Toba Batak

The Toba Batak traditional house or commonly called Rumah Bolon has been asked to represent the traditional house of North Sumatra on the national stage. The house is rectangular in shape and is included in the category of stilt houses and is generally inhabited by 4-6 families who live together.

If in Java and other tribes in Sumatra the stilt style house is deliberately made to avoid attacks by wild animals, the bolon traditional house is actually deliberately made on stilts so that it has a bottom of the house. The house is then used as a cage for their pets such as pigs, chickens, or goats.

If you want to enter the bolon house, you have to go through a ladder at the front of the house. The staircase has an odd number of steps, and upon entering this house, we will be forced to duck because of the short door of the house. The door of the house is deliberately made short so that guests bow down so that philosophically they are considered to respect the owner of the house. So, here is the physical appearance of this Toba Batak traditional house.

2. Siwaluh Jabu Traditional House, Karo Batak

The Siwaluh Jabu traditional house, as it is commonly called, is a Karo Batak traditional house whose existence can still be found today. This house is architecturally very artistic style. The walls are tilted, the roof is in the form of a three-story triangle, and at the top of each triangle is decorated with a buffalo head symbolizing prosperity.

The Siwaluh Jabu traditional house is generally very large. It is usually inhabited by around 8 indigenous families. Each family in the house generally has its own role. There are those who act as leaders, workers, cooks, and so on. The following is the physical appearance of this traditional house in North Sumatra.

  

3. Bolon Traditional House, Simalungun Batak

The Simalungun Batak has a traditional house with the same name as the Toba Batak traditional house, namely the bolon house. Even though it has the same name, architecturally the Bolon traditional house in the Simalungun Batak style is different from the Bolon house in the Toba Batak style. The difference lies in the pillars, roof style, and decoration.

The supporting pillars of the Simalungun Batak traditional house are arranged horizontally across and resting on unpacked foundations. The style of the roof is high with a very steep slope and is equipped with windows. The decoration also has more aesthetic value because of the carved ornaments on the wooden walls. The following is the front view of this North Sumatra traditional house.

4. Bagas Godang Traditional House, Mandailing Batak

One of the remnants of the architectural art heritage of the Mandailing tribe in North Sumatra in the past is the architectural art of the Bagas Godang house. This traditional house in North Sumatra in the past was intended as the residence of the king. Therefore, this godang bagas house is usually built on a large complex and its existence is generally always accompanied by the Sopo Godang building or traditional hall.

Both the Bagas Godang house and the sopo godang building are stilt houses supported by an odd number of large wooden pillars, the same as the number of steps.

So, those are some of the traditional houses of North Sumatra which come from 6 children of the Batak tribe who are the original inhabitants. It's classic, isn't it..? Interested in making a dwelling in the style of one of the Batak traditional houses above? Please try!

Baca Selengkapnya

Philosophy 3 Betawi Traditional Clothing

The Betawi people are considered as a tribe with a very high level of cultural acculturation in Indonesia. Looking at history, this tribe originating from DKI Jakarta and its surroundings has indeed received a lot of influence from various cultures of people outside the region. Chinese, Arab and Dutch traders as well as other tribal people in Indonesia have made many contributions to the development of customs in this tribe since ancient times. This is what makes the customs and culture of the Betawi people so unique and different.

We can see the differences and uniqueness of the Betawi tribe from many things, starting from how the architecture of their dwellings (traditional houses), how they dress (traditional clothes), to various traditions and ceremonies which are still sustainable today. Well, actually in this blog we will discuss these three things, but on this occasion, we will only discuss Betawi traditional clothing. For Betawi traditional house architecture and traditional ceremonies, maybe we will discuss it on another occasion.

Betawi Traditional Clothing

In general, we have classified Betawi traditional clothing into 3 types, namely traditional clothing for daily use, traditional clothing for official events, and traditional wedding clothing commonly worn by Betawi brides. In the following, we will discuss this three one by one.

1. Betawi Traditional Clothing

For daily life, Betawi people usually wear simple clothes. The men wear plain-colored Koko or conscious clothes, long underpants with simple batik motifs, a cloth attached in the form of a sarong or shawl slung over their shoulders, and a black velvet cap. As for the women, they will generally wear a short-sleeved shirt with short sleeves, geometric patterned batik cloth in bright colors, and a headscarf that matches the color of the dress. The following is an example of an image of Betawi traditional clothing that is used in their daily lives.

2. Traditional Betawi Clothing

In official events such as weddings, celebrations, or big days, the Betawi people have official clothes that are considered very antique. The men wore black jackets with gold chain decorations on their pockets, black cloth trousers with short sarongs, and black caps to cover their heads. Women, they wear clothes that are actually still similar to their daily clothes, namely brackets, geometric patterned batik cloth, and brightly colored headscarves. The following is the appearance of Betawi traditional clothing in the official event.

3. Traditional Betawi wedding attire

In contrast to everyday clothes and official wear, the Betawi traditional clothes worn by brides are clothes that are thick with a mixture of Chinese, Arabic, and Western cultures. It is not surprising that this wedding dress was given a strange name, “Care Hajj Dress Up” for Betawi men's wedding dress and “Cine Bride Care None Dress Up”.

The hajj care attire worn by the groom during his wedding includes brightly colored robes and headgear made of turbans. As decoration, they will also wear scarves patterned with gold thread and brightly colored beads. Meanwhile, the care none of cine brides includes bright Chinese-style blouses made of satin, dark-colored skirts called Kun, and as a complement, on their heads, they use rocking flowers with hong-bird motifs with a fake bun complete with a veil on the face.

On the bun, jasmine flower ornaments formed by combs and ronje complement the beauty. Other jewelry used by Betawi brides is an electric bracelet, a wide necklace, and beads worn on the chest. For footwear, they use boat-style slippers. So, for more details, see the following pictures of Betawi traditional clothes.

So, that's information about the repertoire of Betawi traditional clothing, starting from everyday clothes, official clothes, and wedding clothes. Hopefully, it can be useful so that our knowledge about the assets of the Indonesian nation's cultural heritage is increasing. Regards.

Baca Selengkapnya