West Javanese customs that are still preserved
The culture of West Java or the Sundanese tribe is indeed very interesting to review together. Especially for those of you who live outside of West Java, you will see a special attraction of the displayed customs. Each region basically has a culture that was passed down by previous ancestors.
Many customs have been abandoned, but there are also some that have survived to this day. This culture dominates the social life of the Sundane people, from fraternal relationships, weddings, the organization of certain events to vocations in the family. All customs have a fairly long history to date.
Among the many customs belonging to West Java, you will learn about 5 cultures that are the most common because they are preserved to date. From the kinship system to the ceremony of uninsuredness or circumcision. You will find your uniqueness of this West Java culture.
Western Java Kinship System
The first West Javanese customs that we will discuss are related to the kinship system. The kinship system prevailing in the Sundanese tribe is bilateral in nature, which is withdrawn from the father’s and mother’s side. Like cultures in other regions, the Sundans also consider their father to be the head of the family.
This system of kinship is also not far from the role of Islam, which influencesthe culture of the Sundanese tribe. There is a term called Pancakaki, which is used to describe kinship. For those of you, Sundanese, you must know this term because it is often used in everyday life.
In addition to Pancakaki, you will also learn the terms Sarsilah (Genealogy or Salsilah) and History. These two terms have almost the same meaning, namely pedigree or laying strains. These three terms are often used to discuss the kinship system used by the Sundane people.
West Javan people also have their calling for their relatives, such as fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, grandmothers, grandparents, and so on. This kind of kinship system is actually preserved to this day. So don’t be surprised if there are still many people from West Java who have this kinship system.
Traditional Seren Taun Ceremony
Western Javanese culture, which is no less interesting to know, is the Seren Taun ceremony. This typical traditional West Javanese culture is done by transporting rice or as a pare ngangkut from rice fields to a rice barn (leuit), using a special piculan called rengkong accompanied by traditional musical wasps.
This will be followed by a meeting called riungan, which will be attended by local government officials and traditional elders or community leaders. Agricultural products brought during the Seren Taun ceremony are a symbol of the request for gratitude to God for the presence of local officials or officials in the West Java region.
This Western Javanese custom is a ceremony to convey the good news of the abundance of agricultural products or rice harvests and the prosperity that has been achieved by the community over a period of time. Because this traditional ceremony is held not only once, but for some time according to customs.
One of the features of Seren Taun is found in the seba process. This procession is carried out by handing over all the agricultural products that have been obtained so that they can be enjoyed by the officials and community leaders who come to the event. Everyone who comes to the ceremony will feel a shared sense of happiness.
West Java Tingkeban Ceremony
Another West Javanese culture that is interesting to learn about is the Tingkeban ceremony. The ceremony is held for a mother who is pregnant with a 7-month-old baby. This Tingkeban ceremony is carried out as a form of request for the safety of the mother and the fetus contained in her stomach.
The term Tingkeban has a certain meaning, which consists of a closure that comes from its main word, Tingkeb. The meaning of this term describes about a mother who is pregnant for 7 months, it is forbidden to mix with her husband. In fact, for 40 days after giving birth, this is still not allowed.
The purpose of this West Javanese custom is to prevent the mother from working too hard as the uterus gets bigger and bigger. As you know, having a relationship between husband and wife will make the mother exhausted, and this habit is not good for the health of the child, as well as the mother herself.
After 7 months of age, the mother’s uterus will become heavier until later delivery. The culture that West Java has is designed to maintain the health of the mother and fetus in it, so that bad things do not happen, so that there are rules that must be done by the mother.
Traditional ceremony of the feast of the sea
Another West Javanese culture that has survived to this day is the traditional ceremony of the maritime holiday. This ceremony did not take place anywhere, but in the area of pangandaran ciamis and Pelabuhan Ratu sukabumi. If you are visiting here, do not miss the traditional ceremonies.
This ceremony of the feast of the sea takes place as a form of gratitude of the community to God for the seafood obtained. Therefore, the people who attend this traditional ceremony are generally fishermen who use sea transport while working to earn a living for their families.
Not only as an expression of gratitude, this Western Javanese custom is also meant to be an appeal for the safety of fishermen. Although sea conditions are unpredictable, local fishermen must continue to work sailing the ocean to find as many catches as possible.
For the safety of these fishermen, this traditional ceremony was carried out and so that they could bring abundant results. This procession of traditional realization is very interesting to see and learn. So there is nothing wrong if you come and follow this procession of traditional ceremonies that are still preserved.
Non-incantation or circumcision ceremony
This West Javanese culture is still conducted today, namely the ceremony of sepitania or circumcision. This traditional ceremony is held to remove all the dirt that is on the vitality of the bride’s circumcision to make it cleaner. You can also find this culture in several regions.
This culture is also associated with Islamic religious beliefs, in which one of the requirements for Muslims is to carry out circumcision rituals, for both men and women. This ceremony takes place when the boys are 6 years old and the girls are children, so as not to be ashamed later.
This ceremony is usually carried out by inviting circumcision parajis, relatives and neighbors circumcision of the bride. So, in this traditional ceremony, there will be celebrations so that the circumcised bride feels happy and can relieve the pain after purifying her vitality, because sometimes.
There are still many customs from the West Java area that are still preserved to this day and you will be interested in learning more about them. If you have a West Java family, you need to know some of the West Javanese customs that have been listed above.