Brilio.net/en - Indonesia is home to over 300 ethnicities, each with its own unique cultures, ceremonial programs, and customs. And among the hundreds, the Batak tribe stands out as arguably one of the most solid and strong-willed in keeping their traditions alive in this modern era. What's it like to be married to a Bataknese? We have some idea.
1. You’ll pick up an accent
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Learning the Batak dialect may not be the easiest thing, but accents and speaking tone are fairly easy to adopt — a little loud and angry, even when they're not actually mad over something.
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2. You’ll have to learn to call family members based on their family hierarchy
Just like the Chinese, family hierarchy is an important part of the Batak culture. Mothers are called inang and fathers amang — but it does not stop there. A mother's brother will be called tulang and his wife nantulang, while a mother's older sister is inang tua and a younger sister will be inang uda. As for family members from a father's side, brothers are amang tua and amang uda, while sister gets called namboru... and the list goes on.
3. You’ll be given a new family name
In an ancient Batak family, one is advised to marry his/her cousin in order to keep the bloodline, pride, and wealth within the family. Today, however, most are allowed to marry individuals from outside their family and ethnicity, but in order to preserve the rule from the olden days, the outsider will have to be given a "marga" (Batak family name) taken from the partner's Tulang. The surname will also be applicable in traditional ceremonies.