INDONESIA CERMONIES

Birth of Prophet Muhammad: Islam is Indonesia's

dominant religion with approximately 86% of its population
identifying as Muslims, making it the most populous
Muslim-majority nation in the world. In February, Muslims
commemorate the birth of Prophet Muhammad with a
week-long festival with gamelan performances and a parade
of floats.
Waisak: (Vesak) commemorates the birth, enlightenment
and death of Gautama Buddha. During the full moon in
May or June, Indonesian Buddhists observe Waisak at
Borobudur, the largest Buddhist monument in the world.
The ceremony is centered at the three Buddhist temples by
walking from Mendut to Pawon and ending at Borobudur.
Galungan: Hari Raya Galungan or simply Galungan, a
Hindu holiday celebrates the coming of the gods and the
ancestral spirits to dwell in the homes of their descendants.
Evil spirits are driven off by incantations and fire crackers.
The festivities are characterized by offerings, dances and
new clothes.
Kesodo Ceremony: In August, hundreds of thousands
Tenggerese gather at the active crater of Mount Bromo in
East Java to present offerings of rice, fruit, vegetables,
flowers, livestock and other local produce to the God of the
Mountain in a ceremony called the Kesodo Ceremony. They
ask for blessings and a year free of eruptions.
Toraja Funeral Ceremony: The Toraja people are rice
farmers and live in the mountainous areas of South
Sulawesi. They hold fascinating and elaborate funeral rites
to send the spirit of the dead to the afterworld and to prevent
misfortune on the deceased's family. The ceremony is often
held weeks or months after the death so that sufficient funds
can be raised to cover the funeral expenses. During the
waiting period, the corpse "lives" with the family in their
tongkonan.
Toraja funeral rites spread over several days and involve
hundreds of extended family members and guests from the
nearby villages. Chanting and dance are performed to honor

the deceased and to bid farewell. It is not until the first

water buffalo is sacrificed that the deceased is considered
dead. Torajans believe that the soul of the deceased will ride
the soul of the slaughtered buffalo to the afterworld. The
dead is placed in a hand-crafted coffin and buried in a cave
or hole carved into cliff walls or hung on a cliff. A woodcarved effigy is usually placed in the cave looking out over
the land.

Festivals can be local, regional, national or even international

Independence Day is held on 17 August every year. It is the most important national
festival in Indonesia

There are also many religious festivals in Indonesia which are celebrated by the various
religions

Ceremonies are special events that are celebrated in a customary way

Many ceremonies are based on the religious beliefs of the people taking part in them

Festivals
Festivals give people the opportunity to come together and celebrate something that they have in
common. Festivals can be local, regional, national or even international. Indonesia celebrates a
variety of festivals.
Local festivals are usually celebrated within a small community, like a village, when something
important happens. This can be a wedding, a funeral or the birth of a new child. Often these
festivals have particular ceremonies related to them.
Regional festivals are for an entire area and usually celebrate a person who was important in the
history of the region. In Indonesia, there are several regional festivals throughout the country that
commemorate kings who ruled over the regions.
National festivals are often days of historical importance for the whole country. The biggest
national festival in Indonesia is Independence Day which is celebrated on 17 August every year
(see image 1). On this day there is a parade before the president in Jakarta and people all over
Indonesia celebrate their freedom and independence as a nation.
Some festivals are international, not because they are organised by many countries, but because
they are based on religious beliefs and are celebrated around the world. There are many religious
festivals in Indonesia.

Regional festivals

There are many regional festivals in Indonesia and most of them are celebrated in memory of
kings and sultans who ruled long ago. There are also some other very interesting festivals
celebrated around the country.
One festival takes place on the island of Madura, where, each year between September and
November, they hold a series of bull races.
Bulls are tied together in teams of two and then drivers stand or sit on a yoke that is tied between
the bulls. Racers run through an elimination process until there is only one winner left. There is a
lot of pride and prestige attached to owning race-winning bulls. Bulls are taken very good care
of, given special foods and are worth a lot of money.
See animation

National festivals
There are public holidays in Indonesia for many special events but the most important national
festival is Independence Day. It celebrates the declaration of independence that Sukarno made on
17 August 1945.
Every year there is a special parade held in Jakarta that features elements of the Indonesian
military and also includes schoolchildren. Local communities organise special games and events
like picnics to help celebrate the day. Buildings are decorated and there are special concerts
which are also broadcast on television and radio.

Religious festivals
While there are many festivals in Indonesian life, most of the important festivals are religious
ones. These are not necessarily celebrated by all Indonesians but they still have a big part to play
in Indonesian life. There are Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian festivals celebrated in
Indonesia.
The following is a list of some of the biggest religious festivals in Indonesia.

Waisak Day - this is a Buddhist festival held in May that celebrates Buddha's birth,
death and gaining of wisdom. Celebrations are held at Borobudur Temple near
Yogyakarta on the island of Java.

Galungan - this is an important festival on Bali. The day it is celebrated changes

depending on the Hindu calendar. This festival honours ancestors and people travel home
to their families to make offerings and pay respects.

Nyepi - this day is the Balinese New Year. It is also based on the Hindu calendar and is
very different from New Year celebrations in Australia. Before Nyepi, the Balinese

people take statues of the gods out and clean them. They hold special ceremonies to cast
out bad spirits and then on the day of Nyepi they do nothing. The word Nyepi literally
means silence and everything in Bali closes, the people stay home and the whole island is
quiet.

Ramadan - this is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and during this month
Muslims do not eat or drink while there is sunlight. This is a time to focus on prayer and
faith. In the evening families have small meals and visit friends. It is the holiest time of
year for Muslims.

Id al-Fitr - this is the feast that immediately follows Ramadan. Muslims enjoy food
together and ask each other for forgiveness for any wrongs that they have done during the
year. This festival lasts for three days and many people travel to be home with their
families for it.

Easter - this is the same festival that is celebrated by Christian people around the world.
It remembers the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Christmas - this is also the same festival celebrated by Christians everywhere. This is to
celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Ceremonies
Ceremonies are special events that are performed in a customary way. Common ceremonies are
things like weddings or funerals. There are many important ceremonies in Indonesian culture
and, like festivals, they tend to be based on the religious beliefs of the people taking part in them.
Muslim people wash themselves as part of a ceremony before they pray. In Bali, Hindu people
take part in many ceremonial dances and place offerings at temples.
Ceremonies can also be a part of festivals. At times of celebration there may be some rituals
which need to be completed before the festival can begin. In Bali, before Nyepi begins, the
people must complete the ceremonial task of cleaning their stautues of the gods and banishing
bad spirits.

The Marriage Ceremony

Understand the different types of wedding ceremony and

celebrations in Indonesia...
An Indonesian marriage has three components: civil, religious, and a celebration which follows
regional customs and traditions (adat).
The festive celebration is often separate, and may occur days or even weeks after the legal and
religious ceremonies. Each region and ethnic group practises its own marriage customs.
Sometimes the decision of how to celebrate is made by the family, but usually community
traditions prevail.
Indonesian weddings are all at once colourful, joyous, and solemn. The married couple and
guests are often dressed in traditional costume. Both local dignitaries and religious authorities
speak; there is lots of food as well as music, and sometimes dancing.
At the end of the ceremony, wedding gifts of money which help towards the cost of the wedding
are put into a wooden box. Money should be given in a sealed envelope.
The religious ceremony can be combined with a festive wedding party. When wedding vows
have already taken place, though, there are no religious formalities.
Christian weddings are sometimes more westernised. Weddings take place in a church and the
bride and groom wear western marriage clothes. A reception follows, where guests sometimes do
not wear traditional dress and food is served.
Traditional Balinese weddings are complex, long, and rich in symbolism. They can take eight
hours or more, involve walking from one part of town to another, and have ceremonial stages
with many Hindu priests and prayers in different Hindu temples. Up to fifty officials can be
present. Traditional orchestras and singers (Gamelan) are often part of the festivities.
A festive, communal wedding ceremony is usually the rule. Wedding invitations are sometimes
sent out, but that is more of a formality. The entire neighbourhood where the married couple
lives is welcome and expected to attend. Many friends and family donate time, money, and their
help in preparing costumes, food, and everything else a marriage ceremony involves.

CEREMATION AT BALI

Balis cremation ceremonies must be some of the most magnificent in the world.
For, to the Balinese, it is only through the cremation of the body that the soul can be released
from this temporary vessel to reach the afterlife. And, in order to do so, the correct rites and
rituals must be followed, especially when it concerns those of royal lineage. For, at death, the
body must be consumed by fire for the soul to return to its five constituent elements known as
the panca maha bhita (earth, wind, fire, water and ether) in order to speed it to the afterlife.
It is only through following the proper rites and rituals, therefore, that the soul can be finally
freed from the body to be reborn or ultimately reach moksa, the ethereal existence in the higher
realms of the upperworld.
Cremations in Bali are lavish and therefore costly. The higher the rank, the more elaborate the
preparations and decorations required. For this reason, the deceased will have been buried for
some time before the family or the community can gather sufficient funds. It is common custom,
therefore, for simple people to wait for the cremation of a person of royal standing or religious
leader and join in the rituals (called ngiring) for the cremation of their own relatives, which is
allowed.

A few days before the day of the cremation the wandering soul of the buried deceased is recalled
to rejoin the body, usually represented by an effigy , brought to the house to be repeatedly
bathed, groomed and attended to with refreshments served by relatives.
On the eve of the cremation, priests present offerings to the supernatural forces that are asked to
open the path for the soul , while relatives pray for the release of the soul to the upperworld.
The following day, the body is taken to the open ground where the cremation takes place, which
is usually after the sun has passed its zenith. When all is consumed by fire, relatives gather the
ashes and bones of the deceased , and a further effigy of the dead person is constructed to be
taken in procession to the sea or river, where it is cast into the water, into the protection of the
ocean.
Following this, in the coming months or years after the cremation, when sufficient funds have
been gathered, more ceremonies take place to further ensure the complete separation of the sould
of its worldly attachments, in order to allow the soul to reach the upperworld. In the final
ceremony, called the nyagara-gunung ceremony, the family expresses thanks to the gods of the
oceans and the mountain temples, and the deified soul is enshrined in the temple, awaiting its
next reincarnation or release from the cycle of rebirth.

Traditional Celebrations in Indonesia

Introduction
Indonesia is the worlds largest archipelago. Archipelago is a large group of islands.
Indonesia is composed of more than 17, 000 islands. West Indonesian Time zone,
East Indonesian Time Zone, and East Indonesian Time Zone are the three climate
zones in Indonesia. Indonesia is geographically located between the Indian Ocean
and the Pacific Ocean. Its area is slightly less than three times the state of Texas.
Indonesia borders East Timor, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea. The climates in this
country are tropical humid and tends to be more moderate in the highlands.
Petroleum, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soil, gold, and silver
are Indonesias natural resources. There are occasional floods, severe droughts,
earthquakes, and volcanoes that occur every so often. Indonesias population is
205,000,000 people and 88% of the population is Muslim. Javanese is the main
language. The capital of Indonesia is Jakarta. Indonesians have many brilliant ways
of celebrating certain celebrations. I am going to be writing about celebrations in
Indonesia such as: Indonesians Independence Day, a Traditional Wedding
Ceremony, the Seventh Month of Pregnancy, and Ramadan.
Independence Day

August 17, 1945 is the date on which the Indonesians proclaimed their
Independence. The Indonesians fought and earned independence after more than
300 years under the Dutch occupation and followed by the Japanese
occupation(Indonesian Independence Day 1). Ever since this date, Indonesia
celebrates their independence on the 17th day of August. This is just like the United
States of America celebrating our independence on the Fourth of July of every year.
Preparations for this holiday begin long before the actual celebration occurs. These
preparations begin weeks before August 17th. Banners are hung all over. The
banners consist of red and white colors. Red and white decorations are scattered all
over and the words Long Live Indonesia can be seen almost everywhere.
Indonesians use red and white for their banners because these are the colors of
their flag. Indonesias flag has two horizontal stripes. The first stripe on the top is
red. Red represents human blood and the white strip on the bottom symbolize the
human spirit. Special activities are prepared for all of the neighborhood children.
The schools also hold games and contests amongst the classes to see which class
can decorate in the most patriotic manner. Musical selections are also held before
and after Independence Day. A clean up day is usually held before the 17th to clean
the streets, clean the gutters, and anything else that appears dirty.
The celebration on August 17th starts out with the hoisting of the flag at the
National palace. This flag hoisting is televised live. Great respect and honor towards
the countrys flag is shown during the flag hoisting. The President and the Vice
President lead the ceremonies (Indonesias Independence Day2). High school
students are chosen for their marching skills and show off their amazing marching
steps and turns before hoisting the flag. The military is also there with their best
uniforms. While these ceremonies are taking place, the neighborhoods are getting
ready for plenty more fun and games for the kids and the women are busy cooking
krupuk. Krupuk are shrimp chips that are used for eating contests. One of the most
popular games held is the Panjat Pinang. In this game a palm trunk is erected in
public and it is well greased with clay and oil. At the top of the tree are prizes such
as bikes and TVs. Whoever makes it to the top wins whatever prize there is. After
this day of events there is a parade held the next day in Jakarta.
Traditional Wedding Ceremony
According to Joglosemar, Pemaes are hired women who help make up the bride and
are in charge of all the ceremonies (1). Pamae is simply another word for Javanese
traditional bridal beauticians. The bride is made up with a traditional make up. Her
hair is specially put in an up do. The bride is also covered with golden jewelry. The
bride and the groom are treated as king and queen in the wedding party. The brides
parents play a major role in this special celebration. The happy party takes place in
the brides parents house. The brides parents also organize the wedding. The gate
of the house is always decorated with plants and leaves that are symbolic. Reddish

sugar cane means that the couple will build their family whole-heartedly. Young
yellow coconuts mean that the couple love each other and will always take care of
each other no matter what. Ornaments made from coconut leaves must be placed
on top of the gate. This drives out evil spirits and shows that a wedding ceremony is
taking place. When all the decoration has taken place and the bride and groom are
in their best dress it is time for the bride and groom to meet. The bridegroom
arrives at his brides parents house with his close relatives. Two elderly women lead
out the bride to the bridal room. A gift is then presented to the mother of the bride
in appreciation for being the hostess.
The ritual of the Wiji Dadi is the next event in the couples ceremony. The
bridegroom crushes an egg with his right foot. The bride then washes her
bridegrooms foot with a mixture of water and flowers. This symbolizes that the
bridegroom is ready to be responsible and the bride is ready to be faithful to her
husband.
The next ritual that goes on is the feeding of the bride and the groom. This is called
Dahar Kembul. The couple starts out buy drinking sweet tea. Then the bride eats
first. After the bride eats, the bridegroom eats his food as well. This ritual represents
the fact that the couple needs to learn to use and enjoy what they have together.
The ritual of Sugkeman is where the couple receives their blessing. The couple
starts out by asking a blessing from their parents. First they ask a blessing from the
brides parents and then they go on and ask a blessing from the bridegrooms
parents. The couple must kneel before they ask the blessing.
When the asking of the blessing is finished, it is now time for the father of the bride
to give his approval of the couples marriage. The bride and the bridegroom sit on
the brides fathers lap. The father would then say that they have equal weight. This
means that the father of the bride loves the bride and the bridegroom both the
same. After the father of the bride says this, he then seats the bride and the
bridegroom in the wedding chair. All this is done to show that the father of the bride
approves of the couples marriage. The wedding rings are exchanged and the
couple becomes one.
Finally the reception begins. The reception consists of the newly weds receive
blessings from the guests by shaking hands. During the reception another bridal
procession enters the room and two dances are usually performed. These dances
are usually love dances. After all is done the couple will go on living their married
lives. You should not expect to get a thank you if you are a guest at an Indonesian
wedding. Often when you arrive at a wedding, someone will greet you with a token
and on this token there will be a little note saying thank you. Also if you are invited
to a wedding in Indonesia, your attendance is highly appreciated. It shows that you
have respect for the newlyweds.

Seventh Month of Pregnancy

Mitoni is what the Indonesians call the ritual of the seventh month of a womans
pregnancy. Indonesians hold this as a very special ritual. Mitoni comes from the
word pitu, which means seven. This traditional ritual is mainly asking blessings for
the safety of the soon to be parents of the unborn baby. This ritual consists of four
steps. First of all it starts out with the holy bathing. This is called the Siraman. This
Siraman can take place in the backyard of someones house. The space where this
takes place is beautifully arranged. There is a golden bowl filled with water and a
mixture of flowers. The water is considered to be holy and from the seven springs.
The parents to be do not wear any accessories. The grand father of the baby bathes
the couple first. After the grandfather is finished bathing the couple, the
grandmother of the baby proceeds to bath the soon-to-be parents. Several elderly
ladies perform blessings as well. The wife has more rituals to go through than the
husband does. After the bathing of the parents, the father gets dressed and the
mother goes on to more rituals. The soon-to-be mother is then dressed up by
elderly ladies. The clothing that the pregnant mother is dressed in symbolizes
wishes for the mother and the father and their baby. Then the soon- to-be parents
go through a ritual called Angrem. Angrem is a Javanese word that means the
hatching of eggs. Together the couple sits on a batik cloth. This represents that they
are sitting on eggs. The Angrem ritual signifies that the baby will arrive safely and
on time.
Ramadan
Ramadan lands on the ninth month of the lunar calendar year. The lunar calendar is
eleven days shorter than the calendar we Americans go by. Each month begins on
the sight of the moon. Therefore holidays and celebrations do not land on the same
date of every year. The Muslim populations in Indonesia and also Muslims all over
the world celebrate Ramadan. The Muslims celebrate Ramadan because they
believe that during this month a long time ago Allah gave out the first verses of the
Quran to the Islam. Jibrin Abubakar says that, Ramadan signifies the month that
the Quran was revealed and there in lies the Night of Power which is greater than
one thousand months(1).The Ramadan can be known as the month of giving as
well.
Jibrin Abubakar states, Fasting is as old as man himself but only few perhaps have
come to understand its significance(1). The Ramadan is also said to be a period
when devils are kept under key and lock so that they may not temp men of God and
others (Abubakar 1).
During this month, people from the age of twelve and up involve themselves in
fasting. Alicia Eames recalls that:

Magid, who was almost eight, didnt understand why he could not fast for the
Ramadan. His mother agreed to let him miss breakfast, but the boy extended his
fast by feeding his lunch to the geese. Eventually, the childs deception is
discovered and he had to face his parents disappointment. (1)
Preparation for this celebration involves people rushing to pile up on all kinds of
food and beverages. Often leaving shop shelves empty by the early afternoon. This
prompts the shop keepers to raise their prices. (Abdallah 3). Muna Khalil, who is a
housewife and a mother of four, claims she could not find chicken unless she
ordered it one or two days ahead of time(3). It gets very frustrating to get what
they need on time. Traffic jams last at least three hours. These traffic jams make
getting everything you need on time even more frustrating and stressful.
If you are elderly people, children who have not yet reached puberty, people
traveling further that 50 miles, ill people, and pregnant women are exempt from
fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. These people are exempt because
Ramadan is a very hard time for your body and people who do not have the
strength at that time need not endure the fast. This shows that fasting during the
Ramadan is not completely forced on everybody.
Many Muslims become diabetic due to this fasting so they have to take some
precautions. During Ramadan it is important that people take some precautions
and pay close attention to meal planning, monitoring their blood glucose levels, and
balancing insulin dosage with food intake and physical activity. Night prayers
offered during the Ramadan have been reported to increase calorie
expenditure(Taylor and Aslam 2-3). Diabetes is a major health concern for Muslims
who fast. It is estimated that five to ten percent of patients with diabetes develop
foot ulceration and that about one percent will require amputation. Patients may
delay consulting a nurse during Ramadan and may remove dressing from wounds
with out medical assistance in order to carry out ritual washing prior to prayers(3).
If a woman who is pregnant fasts during Ramadan she is putting her baby and
herself in great danger. There is a fourteen percent chance fetal loss and many
maternal complications. According to Nurses Taylor and Aslam, If a patient suffers
from low blood sugar while pregnant then the unborn child will also have low blood
sugar. This could expose the child to a higher risk of having impaired brain
development and can cause faintness in the expectant mother (3). In the Journal
of Ramadan Fasting Research, it is recommended that: to be healthy one must
consume food from the major food groups: bread and cereal, milk and dairy
products, meat and beans, vegetables and fruits"(Abubakar 3).It is also known that
the metabolism rate of a person who involves himself in this fasting slows way
down. Body and dietary fat is efficiently put to great use. Getting the right amounts
of nutrients is hard to accomplish when fasting during the Ramadan. Everyday the

fasting is over at sunset and starts back up again at sunrise. Sohour is the
traditional meal after midnight. Ramadan participants tend to eat through out the
night watching soap operas on the many satellite channels.
Before the Ramadan fasting begins, some Muslims will munch on boiled beans and
lupine, and smoke the night away before starting a new fasting day at
dawn(Abdallah 1).According to Sana Abdallah, the more devout who take the holy
month seriously read verses out of the holy Koran everyday until completed by the
end of the month. After the completion of reading the Koran, they go straight to the
mosques for Muslim prayers(2).
The period of Ramadan enjoins Muslims to fast for spiritual discipline in order to
draw them closer to Allah and also to engender peace, love, and understanding
amongst man kind(The Importance of Ramadan1).Also, this is a time for devotion
to their god, body cleansing, and thinking of all the poor who are starving.
Umar Muhammad Shehu states that:
For a whole month every year, a Muslim trains himself to avoid essential physical
desires for a considerable amount of time every day. He also avoids insulting or
fighting anybody, even if he is attacked. What is required is for one to be always
calm and be conscious of Allah as a constant watcher over him and strive in the
best manner possible to please his creator through out the month.(4)
The Ramadan is then finished with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr. This means the
celebration of not having to fast anymore. Muslims will present themselves in their
finest dress. They will enjoy themselves while visiting with friends and family. They
also take time to contribute to the mosque and share their blessings with the poor.