In many African cultures, the day a child is born is not observed as a special day. I tried to run around giving everyone a big birthday hug but they all ran away screaming, probably because I was covered in flour and raw eggs. ( Log Out /  Selamet in Javanese means safe from any harm, and can also means successful, relieved from any troubles or obstacles. The second cake was devoured on our porch. A Sockenkranz, a type of garland of socks is strung outside the home and around the birthday boy’s property leading to his party. Going from one place to another to do the challenge and find the clue. Another tradition says being pregnant with a boy makes a woman’s hair thick and shiny, while a girl does the opposite. Ma’nene, Sulawesi. Until 1948, Korea was a single country on the world map but political unrest resulted in a division of the region into two countries with different political ideologies. Selametan is a communal feast from Java, representing the social unity of those participating in it. In the course of the arisan the amount paid to other members will equal the amount received when the arisan is held. The Korean language is spoken in both the countries and a similar family system is followed in both countries. Moreover, if the gift turns out to be a poor choice, “loss of face” will result. Singlish is short for Singaporean English, and it is the main dialect in the southern Malay Peninsula. Instead, when African children reach a certain age, they are initiated into the community and this is when they learn the laws, beliefs, customs, songs and dances of their tribes. These initiation ceremonies are celebrated for groups of children instead of individual children.Egyptian Birthday Traditions – Egyptian birthday parties are full of singing and dancing when a child fulfills a year in his/her life. As he follows the garland of socks, he’ll down an alcoholic drink every few meters. Then Nadya, who had orchestrated the whole thing, asked “Are you ready, Miss?” Before I could respond, I felt water hitting my back, followed directly by handfuls of flour, eggs, more water, and lots more flour. In this Tumpeng, we’ve include deep fried chicken with Indonesian seasonings; stir fried noodles with vegetables and chicken, beef with roasted coconut, mixed vegetables with roasted coconut ( Sayur Urap ), fried mashed potato balls ( Perkedel Kentang ), hard boiled eggs, thin omelette, sliced cucumbers and chillies. Happy Birthday Miss Lily! Globalization has made certain changes to the family pattern… Indonesia is a country where many people from different cultures meet and live in one country. She served her first Fulbright year in Pontianak, West Kalimantan. ADVERTISEMENT. Traditions from Around the World: Birthday Celebrations from India. Family members offer a selection of objects to the kid during the celebration, each with a special significance. Instead, the recipient will briefly say “thank-you”, set aside the gift, and then open it … In fact, more and more families are celebrating more birthdays than the ones listed above with cake, lots of food and gifts. 2: The number of cakes involved in birthday festivities. This was not the worst torture. Unwrapping a gift in front of the giver is not a part of Indonesian culture. Always using right hand, when shaking hands, offering a gift, handing or receiving something, eating, pointing or generally touching another person. The selametan is usually held at life cycle events such as birth, circumcision, engagement, marriage, and death. This holiday commemorates the birthday of Raden Ayu Kartini. To some this might seem like a cruel way to treat a birthday girl, but the tradition started to make sense to me on my bike ride home. Parents organize a more or less small gathering, a cake, usually a white Victoria sponge with cream, is customary, and the number of candles depends on the age the birthday boy or girl is turning. Each culture has its own uniqueness and characteristics. Traditions of Indonesia are traditions, beliefs, values, and customs that belong within the culture of Indonesian people. Chinese Birthday Traditions Not all Chinese people celebrate their birthdays according to older Chinese tradition, though it never hurts to learn more about customs surrounding such occasions. i would love to hear from someone whos teaching over there! Women swimwear and bikini are best covered from hips with, To announce your presence, ring a bell or knock at the door while saying. Saving one's face means one should consider others' dignity and avoid them to experience shame or humiliation. Each member should chip in the same amount of money and then the lot is drawn. The member that wins, receives payment of the collected money and will organize place and food, for the next gathering. Some key points of Indonesian etiquette include:[4], Generally the arisan is a social gathering that involves Rotating Savings and Credit Association. An Indonesian birthday in numbers, flour and all, In the Name of Cultural Exchange: The Day I Became a Dutch Colonialist, Blacksweet: Grappling with skin color in Indonesia, A day in the life of Palembang: Portraits at Bukit Seguntang and around town, Brace for a Birthday Flour Storm | Birthdays are Best, 100 Days in Indonesia: Reflecting on the First Week at Site. Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of … When greeting or introducing oneself, smiling, handshake (, If it is not possible to handshake your counterparts, for example addressing larger crowds with a distance between you, making a greeting gesture by putting your hand together in front of your chess while slightly bowing. Traditions of Indonesia are traditions, beliefs, values, and customs that belong within the culture of Indonesian people. 2. Loy Krathong is mainly seen as a communal tribute to the water goddess, while Yi Peng is more symbolic of the individual letting go of anxiety and worry. It was quite a spectacle. Birth Traditions in Bali. Birthday is a huge celebration in Indonesia. Dinner. Food is often taken from a shared dish in the middle. I suppose that if a birthday is just the mark of another year, repeated, any date would do. 25th Birthday: Once again, if you are an unmarried man, the whole town will know! Enter your email address to follow Indonesiaful and receive notifications of new posts by email. flickr / Lian Chang. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. There is also a saying' eat or not eat as long as we have each other'. 4: The number of times I’ve soaked my clothes to try and get the flour out. Where family members... 2. Family Gathering. Making sounds while eating is considered not polite, try not make a sound when slurping or the sound of spoon touching the dish. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. With 202.9 million Muslim s (93.2% of the total population as of 2009),[3] Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world. Here you are, in Indonesia, which is under the equator in Southeast Asia. We talked to women about traditions from their home countries. These objects may include rice (for wealth), a calligraphy brush (for gaining knowledge), or celery (for hard work, presumably because chewing celery is hard work). Eat or pass food with your right hand only. However, culture and traditional values of the region still bind these two countries with each other. In Tana Toraja, renowned for its strange rituals, there exists a strange ceremony … I felt so touched and kept telling them that they didn’t need to give me anything! Just like any other birthday celebration. !” A few girls held out a glowing cake and others threw confetti. if you have any spare time and energy (i know days are long) i would really appreciate your advice on teaching over there and what you did to get the job. It takes place at a fixed interval, usually once a month, however being an informal social network this may vary. Getting “floured” or tepung is a common practice for those celebrating their birthday in Indonesia. In true Indonesian birthday style, a few students smeared some icing onto my face; we had an all-around good time. What a beautiful memory to carry with you! Other ethnics such as Javanese might held slametan ceremonies for starting agricultural calendar to harvesting. It is the home of wondrous spices, exotic jungles and a smiling people as warm as their tropical climate. personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition", "Indonesia - Language, Culture, Customs and Business Etiquette", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Traditions_of_Indonesia&oldid=1007854040, Wikipedia articles with style issues from April 2012, Articles containing Indonesian-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Do not overstay your welcome, the host will not express any sign of unwelcome since it is considered extremely rude. And of course, with a superweird outfit that attract attention. She has pushed for women’s right to education. Wait to be invited to eat before you start. Trying not to mix and "play" with one's food too much, as it is considered as not polite and childish. Wait to be allowed to drink, finishing the whole cup is indicating that the guest wished the drink to be refilled. Ive lived in Jakarta for nearly 5 years now, and I hadnt heard of this custom. Protestant and Catholics population are the majority, with other Christian groups existing as well. While living in Indonesia we have many opportunities to enjoy long weekends and holidays as there are 13 national holidays proclaimed by the government. They … thanks yewww, Pingback: Brace for a Birthday Flour Storm | Birthdays are Best. When entering a mosque, always remove your shoes. But then both of the teachers I was with told me something shocking: “We don’t know when our birthdays are!” they exclaimed. The funniest part was as they were pelting me with eggs they kept saying, in between giggles, “I’m sorry, Miss!!”. National Education Day The Indonesian National Education Day is celebrated on the 2nd of May. I take the same route everyday to and from school. A child may rise at daybreak and get dressed in new clothes. Miss Lily gets hosed down after a thorough dousing of flour on her birthday. i just got back from lombok, i fell in love with the place and am really hoping to teach their once i finish my uni degree in perth, western australia. Italy - food is a very important part of an Italian wedding. Getting “floured” or tepung is a common practice for those celebrating their birthday in Indonesia. In Indonesia, etiquette – methods of showing respect (Indonesian: hormat) – has been considered as one of the key factors in social interactions. This page was last edited on 20 February 2021, at 07:28. Javanese believe selametan could be performed as tolak bala, a ritual to deter negative elements or unfortunate events that might take place in the future. Being covered from head to toe in flour signifies to the community that it is your special day. My heart warmed. This festivals originally held to mark the new agriculture year in Sundanese ancient calendar as well as thanks giving for the blessings of the abundance rice harvest, and also to pray for the next successful harvest. Do not touch the head of an adult, as it is commonly believed that the soul inhabits the head, and the head is therefore sacred. i was looking on the internet to see about qualifications to teach over there and whether it would be as good as i imagine but your blog definatly made me froth even harder! For Indonesian urban people, the cake is a must. Urban Birthday Celebrations In Indonesia 1. This came up over coffee the other day, when a lull in the conversation led me to share, “Tomorrow is my birthday!” For a while the conversation spun off into my plans and “target year” for getting married, a topic which really ought to be on my mind now that I’m 24 and approaching old age (at least for an unmarried Sasak female). Sate Padang is such a unique (and delicious) type of Indonesian sate that I had to include it in this food guide as its… Speaking softly but clear with a somewhat subdued tone is recommended, as speaking too loud is considered rude. … and hundreds of traditional belief systems. (Lily Wiggins/Indonesiaful) 2/4: The date of my birth. It is better to sit down while eating, yet in some circumstances eating while standing is acceptable. Pregnancy and birth customs vary around the world, from pregnancy myths to methods for predicting baby’s sex. It takes place at each member's home in turn. I loved this story. Note that these are a small representative sample. How to Greet People in Indonesia. In Indonesian culture, birthdays are traditionally celebrated by playing humiliating pranks on the birthday boy or girl. During selametan, cone shaped rice portions called tumpeng are usually served. During istirihat, or break time, two of my students came to find me in the teacher’s room to wish me a happy birthday. White in Indonesian Culture In almost all parts of the world, […] They grabbed a hose and drenched me in water, followed by flour. This custom can involve smearing cake on … Camera phones (usually contraband) were taken out from their secret hiding spot in the inside pockets of backpacks, and we cut and ate cake together. As promised, my student found me and escorted me out of the school gate. Once we were outside of school, a group of other girls joined us, offering to carry my bag and walk my bike for me. Offer gifts with the right hand only, or better yet with both hands. Depending on the situation some people may use their hands to eat. Happy Birthday Miss Lily! Sünnet | © Küçükçekmece/Flickr Adaklık Kurban (Devotional Sacrifice) In this Hindu country, an important birthing tradition is burying the placenta, which is believed to be alive and almost like a twin sibling of … Sure enough, the next day I examined the giant “teacher information board” that hangs prominently in the teacher’s room and counted at least a dozen teachers whose birthdays are recorded as December 31. According to tradition, boys who are to be circumcised get to wear a pretty flashy outfit (complete with a scepter) and celebrate with a party that’s comparable to a big birthday. It has a heavy Chinese influence, especially in Singapore culture and traditions. … They explained that in these cases, the Indonesian government just chooses December 31 as the birthday for all official documents. In Islam, it is done to show that the child is a servant of Allah. Cake cutting. There are two major differences between Yi Peng and Loy Krathong: 1. Wait to be allowed to enter the house, and wait to be allowed to sit in guest room. Nowadays, Japanese people mainly celebrate their children’s birthdays. Indonesian Holidays. She was an Indonesian national heroine who hailed from Java, Indonesia. Indonesia also has significant numbers of Christians. For people outside Indonesia, this is an interesting topic to discuss. One of them gave me a present and the other informed me that my present would be ready after school and that I should come find her before I went home. (Lily Wiggins/Indonesiaful). Selametan also might be held in accordance with religious events, such as Mawlid or Satu Suro. As I approached I heard a countdown, “3,2,1…. But that Monday, as I biked covered from head to toe in flour, everyone clapped as I passed by and wished me a “Selamat Ulang Tahun!” The fact that I was covered in flour immediately brought joy to everyone I encountered and immediately signified that it was my birthday. Kasada (East Java): harvest offering ritual. Indonesia is the biggest island state in the world with over 70,000 islands.It is a multi-diverse state with over 30 provinces that have their unique traditional attires. It all started with a quiet simple way, the gathering of friends and families. In India children wear new clothes on their birthday. hey lilly, ive been reading your blog Lombok LIving, its such a good insight into life as a teacher over there. ( Log Out /  It’s really just a number, after all. Indonesia - foods served depend on the region and religion, but could include spicy rice dishes like nasi goreng, dim sum, sushi or even Western recipes like beef wellington. The child kneels and touches the feet of their parents as a sign of respect. So many kind of creative birthday celebration held by Indonesian people to celebrate birthday. Singlish is considered to be Singapore’s main language and occupies a special place in Singapore culture. In Indonesia there are many kinds of festive ceremonies and rituals that linked to agricultural activities, from plant the seeds to harvest. I wave to the same lady selling eggs and ignore the persistent cat-calls from the same group of cigarette-smoking boys at the motorcycle repair shop. Indonesia is a vast country of sprawling archipelago with a diverse demographic range of over 1,300 ethnic groups,[1] and speaking more than 700 living languages.[2]. These men, born in the late ’60s and ’70s, told me that they are part of a generation whose parents were illiterate and thus could not record the date of their birth. The majority of Hindu demographics in Indonesia live in the island of Bali. Change ). Buddhist Indonesian are located throughout the country, and are ethnically identified as Chinese Indonesians. Wiggins graduated from Pitzer College in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. As I opened the uncharacteristically closed doors of class X2, 40 smiling faces yelled “Surprise! It can be understood as a kind of thanksgiving ritual, but many consider that by being involved, the individual also seeks blessings and protections from God. Taarties are tarts filled with fruit and topped with whipped cream, and they’re served on birthdays in … Usually,... 3. The first was a surprise from my students. ( Log Out /  After one of the biggest rain storms I’ve ever experienced, the final bell rang and it was time to head home. Home » Practical Information » Indonesian Customs and Culture » Indonesian Holidays. Here, we will discuss about colors in Indonesian culture. Overview of holidays and many observances in Indonesia during the year 2021 While Dayak people performing Hudoq dances during harvest thanksgiving festival. Bow tie-shaped twists of fried dough, sprinkled in sugar, represent good luck. I love it! Hierarchical relationships are respected, emphasised and maintained, Respect is usually shown to those with status, power, position, and age, Elders must be respected by doing a salim or gently touching the head of people elder to you. It is up to the guest to estimate the length of their visit and initiate the farewell. Some people celebrate it in extravagant ways. Being covered from head to toe in flour signifies to the community that it is your special day. Indonesia’s diversity extends to the variety of belief … Contact her at lilyfwiggins@gmail.com. (Lily Wiggins/Indonesiaful). 24: The number of the years I turned. Some conservative Indonesian Muslims might avoid direct touch with opposite sex including handshake, so performing non-touching salam (anjali) is recommended when greeting opposite sex that are conservative Muslims. About the author: Lily Wiggins is a second-year Fulbright English Teaching Assistant based in Praya, Lombok. Pointing toward someone with index fingers are considered rude, pointing with thumbs are considered more polite. Birthday. 18th Birthday: Cracking eggs over the head of someone turning 18. Gifts should be wrapped in red (ideally), but definitely not colors representing death, such as white or black. Indonesian culture has historical roots, institutions, customs, values, and beliefs that many of its people share, but it is also a work in progress that is undergoing particular stresses at the beginning of the twenty-first century. As I rode my bicycle and turned down our little street, I could see a few kids standing at our gate (“standing lookout” I later learned from my roommate). Some of my friends had to do an amazing race. So though I don’t ever try to attract that much attention (most of the time I try to detract attention), I understand why tepung (flouring) is actually enjoyed by those subjected to it. One should avoid putting their chin upward, putting their hands on their hips or pointing when talking to other people. Or life events such as moving residence, departing for a long trip (such as hajj pilgrimage or working abroad), opening a new business (such as opening warung), career promotion. When visiting a place of worship, the proper dress etiquette for such places is of utmost importance. The Yi Peng Lantern Festival is celebrated one day before Loy Krathong. ( Log Out /  In the U.S. we say “Happy Birthday” but in Indonesia the greeting, “Selamat Ulang Tahun” translates to, “Happy Repeated Year!” I never thought much about the difference in specificity between the two greetings – one emphasizing a single day, the other emphasizing the end, or beginning, of an entire year – until I discovered that many of the teachers at my school don’t know their birthdays. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Hudoq is deity that symbolize pest, and by appeasing Hudoq is believed will deter the pest in coming agricultural cycle. Gifts that come in pairs are best (but not 4’s!) In banquet seated dinner party, you will be served the food and it would not be considered rude if you helped yourself after that. Since Chinese culture is packed with superstitions, it’s also good to know what NOT to buy as a gift (not just for a birthday gift). Openly correcting or pointing one's mistake would cause someone to felt ashamed, and humiliating someone is considered extremely rude. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Although it may seem like a simple custom, the tradition of Omugwo, which simply refers to postpartum care, is incredibly valuable to many Nigerian families.In Omugwo, the grandmother gives the baby his or her first bath, if she is available.If the grandmother is not around, an aunt or close friend may step in. In Muslim and Hindu traditions, a baby's head is typically shaved within several days or in the first three years after birth. Conservative and modest dress sense should be adopted — especially by women. It is practised by Javanese, Sundanese, and Madurese ethnic groups. Indonesia is a vast country of sprawling archipelago with a diverse demographic range of over 600 ethnic groups, and speaking more than 700 living languages. Because one “flouring” wasn’t enough, about five minutes after I got home my neighbor Yanti and some of her friends (all 12th graders at my school), came over carrying a plate full of cakes. One of them is Seren Taun, an annual traditional Sundanese rice harvest festival and ceremony. This action implies that the recipient is greedy and impatient. !” All my neighborhood friends (average age: 7) were standing on my porch under a homemade banner of birthday. Three of the kids — Femi, Ainun, and Tari — played “Happy Birthday” on their accordions, a song I’ve been hearing them perfect – on Sunday mornings at 6 a.m. – for months. Six or seven of some of my best students were giving me a little bit of “traditional” birthday love.
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