West Javanese customs are still protected
The culture of the West Java or Sundanese tribes is really very interesting to review together. Especially for those of you who live outside of West Java, you will find a special attraction of the customs displayed. Each region basically has a culture that was passed on by earlier ancestors.
Many habits have been abandoned, but there are also some that are preserved even today. This culture dominates the social life of the Sundanese people, from fraternal relationships, marriages, organizing certain events to businesses in the family. All habits have a very long history up to now.
Among the many customs that belong to West Java, you’ll get to know the 5 cultures that are often encountered, as Mass Aih is preserved up to now. They range from kinship systems to ceremonies or circumcisions. From West Java you will find its own uniqueness from this culture.
West Java Kinship System
The first West Javanese customs that we are going to discuss are related to the kinship system. The relationship that exists in the Sundanese tribe is bilateral, derived from fathers and mothers. Like other cultures, the Sundanese people consider you to be the head of the family.
This relationship is also not far from the role of Islam affecting the culture of the Sundanese tribes. There is a term called Panchakaki used to describe kinship relations. For those of you who are Sundanese, you should be familiar with this term, because it is often used in everyday life.
In addition to Pancakaki, you will also know the terms sarsila (descent or Salsilah) and history. These two terms have almost the same meaning, such as heredity or strain. These three terms are often used when discussing the relational system used by the Sundanese people.
The people of West Java have their own profession for their relatives such as fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, grandmothers, grandfathers, and so on. This kind of relationship is actually preserved even today. Therefore, don’t be surprised if there are still many West Javanese people who hold this kinship system.
Seren Tan Heritage Festival
West Javanese culture is no less interesting to learn, it is the Seren Dan Festival. This traditional West Javanese culture is carried out by transporting rice from the rice fields to the rice barn (Luid) as rice or nangut pare, together with traditional music wasps, using a special bigulan called Renkong.
After that, a meeting called Ryungan will be held, which will be attended by local government officials and traditional elders or community leaders. The items brought at the Seren Dan ceremony are a sign of a request to thank God for the presence of local authorities or officials in the West Java region.
This West Javanese custom is a festival that conveys the good news for the abundance of rice crops or harvests and the welfare achieved by society over time. This is because this traditional ritual is performed not only once, but also according to the rituals at a certain time.
One of the characteristics of Seren Tan is in the cepha process. The procession is carried out by handing over all the agricultural produce received in such a way that it can be enjoyed by the officials and community leaders who come to the event. Everyone who comes to the ceremony will feel happy together.
Tingepan Festival from West Java
The next interesting West Javanese culture is the Tingeban Festival, which is held for a mother who is pregnant with a 7-month-old infant. This Dingeban ritual is performed as a form of pleading for the safety of the mother and the protection of the fetus in her womb.
The word tinkeban has a certain meaning, i.e., a lid derived from its main word, tinkep. The meaning of the word describes a mother who is 7 months pregnant and is not allowed to mix with her husband. In fact, it is not yet allowed for 40 days after delivery.
The purpose of this West Javanese custom is to prevent the mother from working too hard as the uterus is getting bigger. As is known, having a husband-wife relationship can make the mother tired, and this habit is not good for the health of the baby and the health of the mother.
After the age of 7 months, the mother’s uterus remains heavy until it reaches delivery later. West Java’s culture aims to maintain the health of the mother and the fetus in it so that bad things don’t happen, so there are rules that need to be done by the mother.
Traditional ceremony of the sea feast
Another West Javanese culture that is still preserved today is the traditional festival of the sea feast. The ceremony is not held anywhere, but is held in the Siamese and Belabuhan Rathu Sukhabhoomi region in the Bangandaran region. If you are visiting here, do not miss out on witnessing the traditional ceremonies.
This sea feast ceremony is held as a form of gratitude to God from the community for the seafood obtained from the community. That’s why the people participating in this traditional festival are generally fishermen who use sea transport while working for a living for their families.
Apart from being an expression of gratitude, this West Javanese custom is also aimed at an appeal for the safety of fishermen. Although the sea conditions cannot be predicted, the surrounding fishermen still have to work by going to sea to find as many fish as possible.
For the safety of these fishermen, this traditional festival is conducted so that they can bring a lot of results. The procession that fulfills this custom is very interesting to see and learn from. Therefore, there is nothing wrong if you come and follow this traditional ceremonial procession which is still being preserved.
Sebitan or circumcision ceremony
This West Javanese culture is still held today, i.e. the cebitan or circumcision ritual. This traditional ceremony circumcision is carried out with the aim of removing all the dirt from the main tools of the bride so that it is cleaned. You can find this culture in many areas.
This culture is associated with Islamic religious beliefs, where one of the requirements for Muslims is to carry out circumcision rituals, both men and women. The ceremony is held when the boys are 6 years old and the girls are children so that they do not get embarrassed later.
The ceremony is usually carried out by inviting the circumcised paraji, relatives and neighbours of the circumcised bride. Therefore, there will be festivals in this traditional ceremony so that the circumcised bride feels happy and can sometimes relieve the pain after her lifelines are cleaned.
There are many more customs from the West Java region, which are still preserved today, and you will be interested to learn more about them. If you have a family from West Java, you should be familiar with some of the West Javanese customs mentioned above.