As I opened the uncharacteristically closed doors of class X2, 40 smiling faces yelled “Surprise! 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. thanks yewww, Pingback: Brace for a Birthday Flour Storm | Birthdays are Best. 2: The number of cakes involved in birthday festivities. My heart warmed. 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 … While living in Indonesia we have many opportunities to enjoy long weekends and holidays as there are 13 national holidays proclaimed by the government. For Indonesian urban people, the cake is a must. 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. Saving one's face means one should consider others' dignity and avoid them to experience shame or humiliation. During istirihat, or break time, two of my students came to find me in the teacher’s room to wish me a happy birthday. 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. It is similar to. Wait to be allowed to enter the house, and wait to be allowed to sit in guest room. 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. Ive lived in Jakarta for nearly 5 years now, and I hadnt heard of this custom. Unwrapping a gift in front of the giver is not a part of Indonesian culture. hey lilly, ive been reading your blog Lombok LIving, its such a good insight into life as a teacher over there. 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. Getting “floured” or tepung is a common practice for those celebrating their birthday in Indonesia. 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). 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. (Lily Wiggins/Indonesiaful). Some key points of Indonesian etiquette include:[4], Generally the arisan is a social gathering that involves Rotating Savings and Credit Association. 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. Change ). The funniest part was as they were pelting me with eggs they kept saying, in between giggles, “I’m sorry, Miss!!”. It all started with a quiet simple way, the gathering of friends and families. Other ethnics such as Javanese might held slametan ceremonies for starting agricultural calendar to harvesting. There is also a saying' eat or not eat as long as we have each other'. !” All my neighborhood friends (average age: 7) were standing on my porch under a homemade banner of birthday. 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. Nowadays, Japanese people mainly celebrate their children’s birthdays. 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. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Sate Padang is such a unique (and delicious) type of Indonesian sate that I had to include it in this food guide as its… Miss Lily gets hosed down after a thorough dousing of flour on her birthday. Cake cutting. There are two major differences between Yi Peng and Loy Krathong: 1. One should avoid putting their chin upward, putting their hands on their hips or pointing when talking to other people. In Indonesia there are many kinds of festive ceremonies and rituals that linked to agricultural activities, from plant the seeds to harvest. 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. What a beautiful memory to carry with you! One of them is Seren Taun, an annual traditional Sundanese rice harvest festival and ceremony. She has pushed for women’s right to education. For people outside Indonesia, this is an interesting topic to discuss. The majority of Hindu demographics in Indonesia live in the island of Bali. Making sounds while eating is considered not polite, try not make a sound when slurping or the sound of spoon touching the dish. Home » Practical Information » Indonesian Customs and Culture » Indonesian Holidays. Note that these are a small representative sample. !” A few girls held out a glowing cake and others threw confetti. Some people celebrate it in extravagant ways. 2. Wait to be allowed to drink, finishing the whole cup is indicating that the guest wished the drink to be refilled. 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. Openly correcting or pointing one's mistake would cause someone to felt ashamed, and humiliating someone is considered extremely rude. This holiday commemorates the birthday of Raden Ayu Kartini. 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. 25th Birthday: Once again, if you are an unmarried man, the whole town will know! As I approached I heard a countdown, “3,2,1…. Gifts that come in pairs are best (but not 4’s!) In true Indonesian birthday style, a few students smeared some icing onto my face; we had an all-around good time. A Sockenkranz, a type of garland of socks is strung outside the home and around the birthday boy’s property leading to his party. In Indonesian culture, birthdays are traditionally celebrated by playing humiliating pranks on the birthday boy or girl. Family members offer a selection of objects to the kid during the celebration, each with a special significance. In Indonesia, etiquette – methods of showing respect (Indonesian: hormat) – has been considered as one of the key factors in social interactions. Here, we will discuss about colors in Indonesian culture. flickr / Lian Chang. I take the same route everyday to and from school. While Dayak people performing Hudoq dances during harvest thanksgiving festival. So many kind of creative birthday celebration held by Indonesian people to celebrate birthday. Selamet in Javanese means safe from any harm, and can also means successful, relieved from any troubles or obstacles. Etiquette varies greatly depending on one's status relative to the person being interacted with. In Islam, it is done to show that the child is a servant of Allah. 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. In India children wear new clothes on their birthday. As he follows the garland of socks, he’ll down an alcoholic drink every few meters. Singlish is short for Singaporean English, and it is the main dialect in the southern Malay Peninsula. How to Greet People in Indonesia. Protestant and Catholics population are the majority, with other Christian groups existing as well. Bow tie-shaped twists of fried dough, sprinkled in sugar, represent good luck. Speaking softly but clear with a somewhat subdued tone is recommended, as speaking too loud is considered rude. The Korean language is spoken in both the countries and a similar family system is followed in both countries. As promised, my student found me and escorted me out of the school gate. Enter your email address to follow Indonesiaful and receive notifications of new posts by email. Family Gathering. It’s really just a number, after all. I love it! In fact, more and more families are celebrating more birthdays than the ones listed above with cake, lots of food and gifts. Italy - food is a very important part of an Italian wedding. Instead, the recipient will briefly say “thank-you”, set aside the gift, and then open it … She was an Indonesian national heroine who hailed from Java, Indonesia. 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. However, culture and traditional values of the region still bind these two countries with each other. Six or seven of some of my best students were giving me a little bit of “traditional” birthday love. ( Log Out / 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. 4: The number of times I’ve soaked my clothes to try and get the flour out. 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. Birth Traditions in Bali. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 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. (Lily Wiggins/Indonesiaful). This custom can involve smearing cake on … During selametan, cone shaped rice portions called tumpeng are usually served. 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. ( Log Out / Women swimwear and bikini are best covered from hips with, To announce your presence, ring a bell or knock at the door while saying. 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]. But then both of the teachers I was with told me something shocking: “We don’t know when our birthdays are!” they exclaimed. In Tana Toraja, renowned for its strange rituals, there exists a strange ceremony … They … … 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.