Know More about West Java Customs and Traditions
Ditulis pada: September 16, 2021
Java society consists of several ethnic groups scattered in almost all areas in West Java. Although it consists of several ethnic groups, basically the customs of West Java are the same.
Likewise with the language of the people of West Java who generally use Sundanese as their everyday language. In general, the Sundanese people have a philosophy of life that reads "bengkuang ngariung, bongkok ngaroyot" which means that relatives are not easily separated or feel distant from each other, even though they are not close to where they live.
You definitely want to know more about West Javanese customs, right? For that, read this article because in it will discuss the intricacies of the people of West Java. The Sundanese customs inherited by their ancestors are still preserved until now, even as a guide for the social life of the community.
Did you know, apart from having a distinctive language, Sundanese people also really love art? Among the characteristics of the traditional arts of the Sundanese people are the arts with a sensitive, happy and open attitude.
Some of the customs of West Java which are still being preserved and maintained so that they are not timeless are as follows.
West Java Traditional Ceremonies
The Sundanese customs inherited by their ancestors are still preserved and respected. Traditional ceremonies that are both ritual and spiritual in nature are still carried out with the aim of being a form of gratitude and supplication to God for the welfare and safety of the people.
In the human life cycle, Sundanese people usually perform ceremonies that are traditional rituals, such as traditional ceremonies of pregnancy, birth, children, marriage, death and others.
Likewise in agricultural and religious activities, the Sundanese people often perform traditional ceremonies that are no less unique and interesting. Want to know more details, read the explanation about the activities of the West Java traditional ceremonies below.
1. Traditional Ceremonies during Pregnancy
a. The Ceremony of Conceiving Four Months
The ancient West Javanese society considered two or three months pregnant women as cravings. After three months, it can be called pregnant. The ceremony, which was carried out at the time of four months of pregnancy, had the aim of informing neighbors and relatives that the woman was indeed pregnant.
It is certainly different from today. People perform the ceremony when the pregnancy is in the fourth month. People believe that when the pregnancy period is the time the spirit is blown by the fetus in the womb.
This four-monthly ceremony usually includes recitation, prayers for the reading of prayers for physical perfection, the health of the unborn baby and safety.
b. Tingkeban (Seven Months)
CeremonyThis ceremony is better known as tingkeban, performed at the age of seven months of pregnancy. This ceremony aims to keep the baby and mother safe when facing the day of delivery.
It is called tingkeban, because "tingkep" means to close. Closed means that pregnant women at that age should not be allowed to have sexual relations until forty days after giving birth. In addition, pregnant women are also prohibited from doing work that drains a lot of energy, because the womb has grown.
This has the aim of preventing pregnant women from bad things in the future. At this ceremony, a recitation is usually held that reads the holy verses of the Koran, for example the letters of Yusuf, Maryam, and Lukman's letters.
In addition, there are some people who still carry out the tradition of cleaning the body of a pregnant woman with seven kinds of flower water, bathing seven relatives in turn, and replacing seven cloths with each splash.
Then, during the seventh splash, the eel is inserted until it falls on the pregnant mother's stomach, which aims to make the baby to be born come out smoothly like a slippery eel texture.
Apart from this, there are many other ceremonies, such as splitting coconut ivory, selling kanistren salad by pregnant women, and others.
c. Nine Months Age
Ceremony This ceremony is held, if the womb has entered the age of nine months. When carrying out this tradition, usually a recitation will be held with the aim that the baby in the womb can be born into the world safely.
d. Reuneuh Mundingeun
Ceremony This ceremony is held if the pregnancy has entered the age of more than nine months, but has not yet given birth.
2. Birth and Infancy Ceremony
a. The Ceremony of Maintaining Tembuni
This ceremony is carried out as a form of respect for the placenta or placenta. This ceremony must be carried out because the placenta is considered part of the baby's family so that it is not allowed to throw it away.
b. Earth Nenjrag
Ceremony This ceremony is carried out by pounding the hammer near the baby seven times. This ceremony is carried out with the aim that the baby is not easily startled or surprised when he hears the sounds.
c. Puput Puser
Ceremony This ceremony is performed when the baby's navel begins to fall off. Done by holding small salvation.
d. Ekah Ceremony
This ceremony is carried outthe teachings of Muslims, namely aqiqah. This ceremony is carried out with the aim of repaying the gift from God in the form of a baby, as a form of gratitude because God has bestowed a child.
This ceremony is usually done when the baby is 7 days old, 14 days old, or usually when the baby is 21 days old. In general, parents will slaughter 2 sheep for a baby boy and 1 lamb for a baby girl.
e. Nurunkeun
Ceremony This ceremony is carried out when the baby first steps on the house page. The goal is for the baby to be able to adapt and tell neighbors and relatives that the baby can be invited out of the house.
In addition to those mentioned, there are many other ceremonies, such as the Shaving Ceremony, the Down Taneuh Ceremony. So even in childhood ceremonies, such as the Gusaran Ceremony, and the Sepitan / Circumcision Ceremony.
At the time of the wedding, several ceremonies will be held before the marriage contract, which are as follows.
1) Neundeun Omong, namely the visit of the parents of the man to the woman's house for friendship and approach.
2) Ngalamar, namely the visit of the man's parents to propose to the girl. Usually the visit will discuss the time of the wedding.
3) Seserahan, namely the man's family gives their child to his prospective in-laws to be married to the girl. At this ceremony usually, the male family brings items in the form of money, jewelry, cosmetics, cakes, fruits, dowries and others according to the ability of the man.
After carrying out the ceremony before the marriage contract, the next ceremony is the traditional marriage contract ceremony which is carried out after fulfilling all the provisions set out in Islam and customs.
After the marriage ceremony is carried out, there will be a traditional ceremony after the marriage contract, which is as follows.
1) Munjungan/sungkeman, which is a ceremony carried out by the two sungkem brides to their parents to ask for a blessing.
2) Sawer Ceremony (Nyawer), which is a ceremony carried out by distributing loose change, paper money, flowers, yellow rice, and two tektek, and sweets to the bride and groom and invited guests.
3) The Nincak Endog ceremony is usually called the egg stamping ceremony. This ceremony is carried out after the saweran ceremony is finished.
4) The Door Opening Ceremony, which is a ceremony carried out sequentially after the nincak endog ceremony.
5) Huap Lingkung ceremony, which is a ceremony intended for the bride and groom to give each other sincerely, sincerely, wholeheartedly, and without limits.
3. Ceremony of Death
Some rituals or ceremonies in West Java for the dead are almost the same as those performed by Javanese people in general.
These ceremonies, namely bathing the corpse, shrouding, praying, burying, walking along the ground and tahlilan or reading prayers and dhikr to Allah so that the deceased is accepted for his worship and forgiven for all his sins, and so that his family remains patient in facing trials.
The tahlilan ceremony is usually carried out on one day of death (poena), three days (tiluna), seven days (seven days), 40 days (matangty), one hundred days (nyatus), one year (mendak), and one thousand days (nyewu). .
4. Traditional Farming
Ceremony This ceremony is divided into several stages, including the following.
1) Seren Taun Traditional Ceremony, which is a traditional ceremony carried out when transporting rice (ngakut pare) from the rice fields to the rice barn (leuit) by using a special pole tool called rengkong to the accompaniment of traditional music that is played.
2) The Traditional Sugar Cane Marriage Ceremony, which is a ceremony carried out as a human marriage ceremony, namely one sugar cane is married to another sugar cane in a ceremonial procession. This ceremony is carried out as an expression of gratitude for the agricultural results achieved and as a request to God so that the next year's harvest can be even better.
3) Ampih Pare Traditional Ceremony, which is a ceremony carried out when storing the rice harvest from the rice fields to the rice barn or what is called leuit.
4) Ngarot Traditional Ceremony, which is a ceremony performed at the start of the planting season.
5) The Earth Alms Traditional Ceremony, this ceremony is carried out as a form of gratitude to God for the abundant produce of the earth.
6) The Traditional Ceremony of the Sea Feast, which is a ceremony carried out as a form of gratitude to God for the marine products obtained by the fishermen, and as a form of prayer so that the fishermen are given health and safety, and can achieve abundant marine products.
Hopefully the article about customs is useful for all of us.
