Brilio.net/en - North Sumatera has a lot of tribes and cultures which make them become attractive to visit. There are four unique traditions which can only be found here. What are they?
1.Mangokkal Holi
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Mangokkal Holi is a hereditary tradition from Batak where they take the bones of their ancestors from the grave then put them inside a coffin before moving them into a special monument used to keep ancestors bones.
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It costs a lot of money since they have to slaughter livestock to celebrate it for days. All Batak ethnics have different name for this tradition. Toba and Simalungun ethnics call it as Mangokkal Holi; Karo ethnic call it as Nampakken Tulan; and Pakpak ethnic call it as Mengkurak Tulan.
However, the purpose of this tradition is the same: to maintain their lineage, and to show their existence and living standard of the family. Besides, they believe that moving their ancestors to the monument is to proof they dont forget them.
2.Sigale-gale Dance
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Sigale-gale is a wooden doll which looks like a human and they usually can be found in Batak Desa Tomok, a traditional house. The dolls will be moved by humans standing behind it.
According to the local legend, Sigale-gale was the only son of King Rahat who died after an illness. The King was mourning then a wooden doll which looked like Sigale-gale was made. They then held a rite to summon the spirit of Sigale-gale and the doll danced.
3.Stone Jumping
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Hombo batu or stone jumping is from Bawo Mataluo Nias, a village in South Nias. The village is rich of megalithic sites or large stone carved and they also have Omo Hada, a Nias traditional housing. This tradition is a special rite for Nias young men.
This tradition marks a manhood of the young man which affects to whether they are already able to get married or not. They will have to jump over a 2-meters stone and use a smaller stone as their foothold. They will have to wear traditional clothes to keep their spirit up.
4.Kenduri Laut
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The tradition from Central Tapanuli is every October. Kenduri laut will be held in a beach from night to afternoon. This ceremony involves representatives from 11 sub-districts in Central Tapanuli.
All representatives from each sub-district bring agricultural products and livestock then display them on a stage alternately. During the ceremony, there will be also various competitions such as perahu naga (dragon boats), kites, and so on. Art shows by local artists can also be found here. This tradition is to show gratitude to God for abundant marine and agricultural products.