I was born in Java Island. It is in the west of Indonesia. Java is mostly inhabited by Javanese. The Javanese ethnic group is the biggest ethnic group in Indonesia. The influence of Javanese culture is very strong. There are some traditions that most Javanese people still hold until today, like marriage, welcoming a baby, and some ceremonials related to harvesting.
This time I would like to write a little about welcoming a baby in Javanese culture.
During Pregnancy
Everyone is happy when a married woman is pregnant. Before giving a birth, there are two main traditions to welcome a baby during pregnancy.
Ngupati
Ngupati is traditional ceremony to welcome the fetus in mother's belly at the age of four months. In this ceremony, the parents of the future baby will hold a ceremony in gratitude to the almighty God. In the ceremony, there is a prayer reading together by family and neighbors.
Lepet is a kind of rice cake. This food should be available in Ngupati ceremony Mitoni
Mitoni means 7 months. When the fetus is 7 months old, the parents will hold a Mitoni ceremony. In the implementation of the mitoni ceremony, a mother who is seven months pregnant is bathed in setaman ( seven) flowers of water, accompanied by special prayers. The pregnant woman wears Javanese traditional clothes during the bath time.
Pic : Tradisi Mitoni
The person who has the right to water the pregnant woman with the water from flowers is an older relative, such as a father, mother, in-laws, grandfather or uncle.
There are several series of events at the Mitoni ceremony, but I will not mention them because they are too complicated.
After birth
In general, there are some processions after birth in Javanese culture, but some people today prefer to choose one or two processions due to the cost and the complicated reasons.
- Mendem batir ( Bury the plasenta)
In Javanese belief, plasenta is called ari-ari. Ari-ari is a friend of the baby in the mother's belly. That is why the placenta should be treated accordingly after birth. The father will bury the placenta on the side of the door of the house. The buried plasenta should be lit with a candle or small fire for some days.
Ari ari bayi
- Brokohan
Brokohan means "blessing from God." Javanese people are religious people, so almost every event in life is connected to God. In Brokohan, neighbors and relatives will come and give some presents to the mother who has just given birth. - Sepasaran
This ritual is held for 5 to 6 days after the birth. Relatives and neighbors are invited to sit at the baby's house to chat and stay in touch. The family of the baby should prepare snacks and drinks for the guests who come. These days, there is also an announcement of the name of the baby. - Puputan ( 7 days)
Puputan means the end of the ceremony after a week. In Puputan, there is a reading prayer together. There is also a tradition of hair cutting for babies. Some families unite the tradition with Aqiqah. Aqiqah is the Islamic tradition of slaugthering lambs or goats. A female baby needs one goat and a male baby needs two goats. The meat of the goats is cooked and shared with the guests and the poor who live near the family.
Puputan
The hair cutting is done by an Islamic cleric for the first time for the Muslim community.
During the hair cut, people read Sholawat to the Prophet Muhammad with Javanese Islamic musical instruments
The ceremony of cutting hair is usually done at night.
- Selapanan
The Selapanan ceremony is held on the 35th day after the birth of the baby. The baby's hair is boldly cut. The family invites neighbors and relatives to pray together and give some packed food to the guests who come.
All events and ceremonies welcoming the birth of a baby or after birth are believed to make the baby grow up to be a smart, well-behaved, and devoted child to the parents.
Wow ! It'sound so great and funny to as the name imply java, although is a name of particular place in Indonesia, which sound like a program java oracle, c++ and many more. The culture is a unique one and is a culture which other county like my country can exhibit from. Because to welcome a body is not a easy task ooh..
Here is the history of Java programming name. Unfortunately, I did not found many coffee plantation in Java and the popularity of Java coffee has been extinct in its own land.
Wow! Your Javanese culture of welcoming a baby is an interesting one. I see there's prayers at the 4th and 7th months while the baby is in the mother's womb. Then when the baby is out, celebrations are held at the naming and when the hair is cut.
This is quite a process and it shows how a mother is thoroughly cared for in your culture. This is lovely. Thanks for sharing part of your culture with us. 😊
For me, the tradition is too complicated. Most Javanese people from low class family only take few of the ceremonial events because if we follow all the traditions need high cost. The royal family of Javanese Kingdom (Yogyakarta and Solo) and upper class family still keep the traditions.
Wow this is a very unique culture... Almost everything you write about your culture are very interesting and I enjoyed the reading, wish you could write more about it
I know about burying of placenta and the cutting of hair of the child but so many things about your cultural way of welcoming a child are so new to me.
Like the flower water bath of the mother to be by the elderly ones, very new but it seem like it's the baby shower that people do talk about.
You sure do know your culture very well and I'm happy to have read about the Javanese way of welcoming a new child.. Nice entry all the best in the contest.
Thanks for enjoying my post. Personally, I did not do all the tradition though I am a Javanese. I chose to do after birth ceremonial. If all the traditions followed, I should spend much money. I prefer to prepare for the baby after birth. However, the tradition is good in some ways for the ones with good finance because every ceremonial will invite a lot of relatives, families, friends and neighbours. The togetherness make the relationship among family and friends closer.
The fact that you know a lot about how it's been done, I respect you for that. Nice entry really
Interesting.
It's really nice as we have diverse cultures in the world.
How special the baby must feel when they start welcoming it from the fourth month.
thanks, welcoming baby when it is four months old in the mother's womb is a grateful to the Almighty God.
Yes, it is, because by that time, some people lose their babies in one way or another.
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