West Javanese customs that are still preserved
It is indeed very interesting to review the culture of the West Java or Sundani tribe together. Especially for those of you who live outside of West Java, you will see a special attraction of the customs displayed. Every region basically has a culture that was passed on by previous ancestors.
Many customs have been abandoned but there are some that are still safe today. This culture is prevalent in the social life of the Sundani people, ranging from fraternal relationships, marriages, organizing certain events to calls in the family. All the rituals have a fairly long history so far.
Of the many west Java-owned customs, you’ll find out about the 5 cultures that are often found because they are so far protected. From the kinship system to the ritual of non-insurance or circumcision. You will find your own uniqueness of this culture from West Java.
West Java Kinship System
The first Western Javanese customs that we will discuss relate to the kinship system. The kinship system prevalent in the Sundani tribe is of a ambivalent nature which is withdrawn from the side of father and mother. Like the cultures of other regions, the Sundani people also consider the father to be the head of the family.
This kinship system is also not far from the role of Islamthatinfluences the culture of the Sundani tribe. There is a word called pankakaki which is used to describe kinship. For those of you who are Sundanese, you must be familiar with the term as it is often used in daily life.
In addition to Pankkaki, you will also know the words Sarsilah (Bansavali or Salsillah) and History. These two terms have roughly the same meaning, such as lineage or stacking strain. These three words are often used during discussions about the kinship system used by the Sundani people.
The people of West Java also have their own occupation for their relatives, such as fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, aunts, brothers, sisters, grandmothers, grandfathers, etc. This kind of kinship system is really safe even today. So, don’t be surprised if there are still many West Javanese people who hold this kinship system.
Siren Ton Traditional Ritual
Western Javanese culture that is no less interesting to learn is the Seren Ton ritual. This traditional Western Javanese traditional culture is done by transporting rice fields from rice fields to rice barns (leut) to rice barns (leut) in the form of rice or enggkut pare, using a special picculan called rengcong while with traditional musical tantrains.
This will be followed by a meeting called Ryungan, which will be attended by officials of local governments and traditional elders or community leaders. The agricultural products brought to the Seren Ton ceremony symbolize god’s request to be grateful for the presence of local authorities or officials in the West Java region.
This Western Javanese custom is a ritual of giving good news for the abundance and welfare of agricultural products or rice crop that has been received by the community during a certain period of time. Because this traditional ritual is performed not only once, but according to the customs for a certain period of time.
A feature of the Serene ton is found in the Seba process. The procession is done by handing over all the agricultural products received so that they can be enjoyed by the officials and community leaders who come to the event. Everyone who comes to the function will feel a sense of happiness together.
Tingkeban ceremony from West Java
The next Western Javanese culture that is interesting to learn is the Tingkeban ritual. The ceremony is held for a mother who is pregnant with a 7-month-old baby. This Tingkeban ceremony is performed as a request for protection of the mother and the fetus present in her stomach.
The word tingkeban has a definite meaning, which is to stop which comes from its main word, tingcabe. The meaning of this word describes a mother who has been pregnant for 7 months, she is not allowed to mingle with her husband. In fact, it is still not allowed for 40 days after delivery.
The purpose of this Western Javanese custom is to prevent the mother from working too hard as the womb is growing up. As it is known, having a husband-wife relationship makes the mother tired and this habit is not good for the health of the child and the mother herself.
After the age of 7 months, the mother’s womb will become heavier until the baby is born later. The culture of Western Java aims to maintain the health of the mother and the fetus in it so that bad things do not happen so that there are rules that should be made by the mother.
The traditional ceremony of the sea feast
Another Western Javanese culture that is still preserved today is the traditional ritual of sea feasting. The ceremony was held not at any place, but in the Pangandran Siamis area and the Pelabuhan Rattu Sukabumi area. If you are coming here, don’t miss out on traditional rituals being held.
This sea banquet ceremony is held as a mark of gratitude from the community to God for the seafood received. That is why the people participating in this traditional ritual are usually fishermen who use sea transport while working to earn a livelihood for their families.
Not only as an expression of gratitude, this Western Javanese custom is also intended to be a request for the safety of fishermen. Although sea conditions cannot be estimated, the surrounding fishermen must still work by sailing in the sea to find as many catches as possible.
For the safety of these fishermen, this traditional ritual was performed and so that they could get full results. It is very interesting to see and learn this procession of traditional implementation. So, there is nothing wrong if you follow this procession of traditional rituals that are still safe.
Ritual of ignorance or circumcision
This Western Javanese culture is still performed today, i.e., the ceremony of sapiton or circumcision. This traditional ritual is performed with the aim of removing all the dirt lying on the whites of the circumcised bride so that it becomes clean. You can also see this culture in many areas.
This culture is also associated with Islamic religious beliefs where one of the requirements for Muslims is to perform circumcision rituals for both men and women. The ritual is performed when the boys are 6 years old and when the girls are children so that the latter is not embarrassed.
This ritual is usually performed by calling the circumcised priest, relatives and neighbours of the circumcised bride. Therefore, festivals will be celebrated in this traditional ritual so that the circumcised bride feels happy and is able to get rid of the pain after cleaning her vitals because at times.
There are still many customs from the West Java region that are still safe today and you will be interested in learning more about them. If you have a family from West Java, you must be aware of some of the West Javanese customs mentioned above.