Soon, Christians all over the world will welcome Christmas which falls every December 25th. This big day to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ usually takes place in a festive manner and is a moment of togetherness with the family.
Christianity is the second largest religion in the country. So, of course every region in Indonesia has different and unique Christmas celebration traditions. This tradition has been passed down from generation to generation since the time of our ancestors, so it is full of deep meaning.
Here are 8 various Christmas traditions in Indonesia that are interesting to know. Listen!
1. Marbinda di Sumatera Utara
The tradition of slaughtering marbinda animals in North Sumatra/Photo: Unsplash.com/ Kenneth Schipper Vera
The Toba Batak people in North Sumatra have a tradition passed down from generation to generation called marbinda to welcome Christmas. Marbinda is a tradition of slaughtering animals such as pigs and buffalo which is usually held on December 24.
Quoted from detikSumut, the marbinda costs for purchasing slaughtered animals are obtained from the community’s contributions for one year. After being slaughtered, the meat will be distributed evenly to residents. For the Toba Batak people, the marbinda tradition teaches the values of togetherness, shared destiny, and justice.
2. Rabo-Rabo in Newsdelivers.com
Rabo-rabo in Newsdelivers.com/Photo: Randy/detikTravel
Unlike the capital city of Newsdelivers.com, the unique Christmas and New Year tradition here is known as rabo-rabo. This typical tradition is found in Kampung Tugu, Cilincing Area, North Newsdelivers.com.
This area is home to Indonesians of Portuguese descent. The word rabo itself in Portuguese means tail. So, rabo-rabo is likened to the family being visited being obliged to enter the group as if following behind to go to the next house.
During rabo-rabo, residents stay in touch and visit the homes of relatives in the village, accompanied by traditional Tugu keroncong music. Usually, rabo-rabo is carried out after residents have said mass and have cleaned the graves around the church.
The peak of the rabo-rabo celebration is marked by the tradition of bathing, namely smearing each other’s faces with white powder. According to belief, this activity symbolizes penance and apology to welcome the New Year in a clean state.
3. Wayang Wahyu in Yogyakarta
Puppet revelation in Yogyakarta/Photo: Eko Susanto/detikFlash
No less unique than other regions, the Christmas celebration in the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) is enlivened by the Wayang Wahyu arts performance. Wayang Wahyu is a shadow puppet show with the theme of the birth of Jesus Christ. Not just an ordinary wayang art performance, wayang revelation is also a means of cultural acculturation and a means of conveying the word of God.
Another special feature is the presence of a local feel during the Christmas service. The religious leaders will wear typical Yogyakarta costumes, such as blangkon and beskap, then they will lead worship in Javanese.
4. Jogging and Penjor in Bali
Penjor in Bali/Photo: Freepik.com/chokniti
Bali is known as an area with very high religious tolerance. Even though the majority of residents on the Island of the Gods are Hindu, this area has a number of unique traditions at Christmas, including ngejot and penjor.
Ngejot is a Christmas tradition carried out by giving parcels of typical Balinese food to family and neighbors, such as lawar urap and pork satay. Meanwhile, penjor is a typical Balinese ornament in the form of tall, curved bamboo sticks decorated with coconut leaves.
The Penjor tradition, which means prosperity and prosperity, is inspired by the Galungungan celebration held by Hindus. As Christmas approaches, penjor ornaments and flower gebogan are usually placed around homes and churches. Apart from that, Christians in Bali usually celebrate Christmas by wearing traditional Balinese clothing.
Certain areas in Bali also have different rituals before Hari Raya. Quoted from detikBali, Catholics in the Palasari area have the habit of washing graves using canang and incense like Balinese Hindus. Incense is even used in their Christmas ceremonies at church.
5. Bamboo Cannon in Flores
Bamboo cannons in Flores/Photo: Rachmat Ariadi/detikSulsel
Furthermore, there is a bamboo cannon custom carried out by the people of Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). At first, the booming sound of bamboo cannons was intended to announce sad news, due to limited transportation between villages.
However, as time went by, bamboo cannons were used to express joy over the birth of the Lord Jesus. When Christmas Eve arrives, the people of Flores will light bamboo cannons in every corner of the city until the new year.
6. Taon Key in Manado
The key to the year in Manado/Photo: Freepik.com/EyeEm
The majority of the Minahasa tribe in Manado, North Sulawesi are Christian. Here, Christmas celebrations generally take place from December 1 until Christmas Day arrives.
To close the series of Christmas festivities that end in the first week of January, key traditions of the year are carried out. Usually, this activity is carried out before the new year.
Referring to CNN Indonesia, before carrying out the key traditions of the year, people first visit and clean the graves of their relatives, then eat together there. Then, residents will parade around the city while wearing Christmas-themed costumes.
7. The sound of sirens and bells in Ambon
The sound of bells in Ambon/Photo: Freepik.com/lachetas
The most popular characteristics of Christmas celebrations in Ambon are ship sirens and church bells. Both are rung simultaneously when Christmas arrives. Apart from that, residents of Naku City, South Leitimur, also hold another special tradition in the form of a traditional purification ceremony as forgiveness of sins.
This traditional ritual is carried out in gatherings at the residents’ homes. After that, they will sing songs in regional languages and dance to the accompaniment of the traditional musical instrument tifa. The women will also bring betel, areca nut and a traditional drink called sopi.
8. Barapen in Papua
Barapen in Papua/Photo: Special/detikFood
The Papuan tradition of barapen is always carried out from year to year as an expression of joy, gratitude and togetherness to welcome the birth of Jesus Christ. This ritual involves burning stones used to roast pigs as a communal meal.
In preparation for the ceremony, local men will make a hole to place hot stones. Banana leaves are then inserted into the hole to cook the pork, finally covered with thick leaves and stones up to three levels. Meanwhile, women will prepare complementary vegetables such as sweet potatoes, kale, ferns, cassava, spinach and papaya.
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