Brilio.net/en - For some people, marriage is one of the most anticipated and dreamed about events in their life. It symbolizes maturity and readiness to build a family.
Tradition and family heritage play an important role when it comes to weddings, even modern ones. Check out these unique traditions on Indonesias various islands!
1. Kawin Colong by Osing Tribe, Banyuwangi
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You might wonder what kawin colong means. Well, the terms Kawin Colong comes from the Javanese in which kawin means married while colong means taking something without permission or stealing. It is a wedding custom from the Osing tribe which is a tribe living in some sub-districts in Banyuwangi, East Java.
Ramdan Wagiyanto, a native Osing, said that this tradition exists because the brides parents do not give them permission to get married and it forces the couple to participate in Kawin Colong. This tradition is also seen as a symbol of the grooms readiness.
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The tradition begins when the bride is stolen or taken without her parents permission and then hidden at the grooms house. The groom then sends a Colok to come to her house to persuade her parents. The one who will be chosen to be Colok is usually an elder or a respected someone.
Next, Ramdan explained that when Colok comes to take the bride-to-be, the parents usually change their mind and agree to let them get married. At that time, they will set the date of the wedding.
The tradition is applied to hasten the process of marriage. It has been rare but some people still do it. said Ramdan.
2. Kawin Culik by Sasak Tribe, Lombok
This one is quite similar to Kawin Colong, but still, both have differences. The bride will be kidnapped at night to prevent any commotion. She is then hidden away at the the grooms familys house. They do it to make sure that her parents will not take her by force and to protect her from being kidnapped by his rivals.
The groom will kidnap his bride-to-be with his family, who will later try to deceive the family of the bride. They do it on purpose. If the groom is caught by her family while kidnapping her, he will be fined.
After kidnapping the bride, his family will come to her house and tell them they have her. If her parents agree with the marriage, they will wash the grooms feet using syrup or coconut water. The brides family then will ask for dowry as a ransom. When the condition have been fulfilled, the marriage will be held with local customs and traditions in mind.
3. Kromojati wedding in Gunungkidul
The wedding tradition is common in Bohol, a village in Rongkop, Gunungkidul. Kromo means married in Javanese language, while Jati , also known as teak, is the plant that has to be planted as one of the conditions to get married here. So, everyone in Bohol who wants to get married needs to plant at least five teak trees.
This rule is relatively new as it was first applied in 2006 due to a concern for the growing erosion of the forest in the local area. Its a pretty way to raise public awareness for environmental protection.
Thousands of teak trees have been planted by the grooms and brides, and now cover two hectares in Waru and Gamping.
4. Tradition in which the groom and bride are not allowed to urinate or defecate for 3 days
This tradition occurs in Tidung tribe, Kalimantan. The bride and groom are not allowed to urinate or defecate for 72 hours before they get married. They usually reduce the portion of food and water they intake in order to avoid nature calling.
Their family will keep an eye on them to make sure they wont break the rules. They believe by doing this they will live happily with abundant children and sustenance.
Original article by Nur Romdlon