Monday, 10July06
Highlights: Traditional wedding last night, World Cup, Consulate visit & dinner with Lydia, Stacey & David Wolfowitz
Last night I did get the chance to go to a traditional Yogya wedding ceremony, which was on UGM campus. (not in the mosque). The bride was one of our neighbor’s kids, so I went with Ibu & Pak Rochmadi.
Ceremonies vary from region to region,, and here- it lasts about ½ hour. Nice! Tonight’s ceremony seemed to be about two things: congratulating the new couple, and food.
There was a reception line of people from the community (I shook about 30 hands just getting through the door). Everyone was wearing fancy batik clothes; men wore sarongs with a krise (wavy 12 inch traditional dagger) tucked in the back, women wore matching sarongs with beautiful red blouses. Some cover their hair, some don’t. it’s a personal religious choice.
The bride and groom stood on a stage in the front, flanked by both sets of parents, shaking hands of all the guests that came to wish them a happy marriage.
There is a local folklore that I don’t fully understand yet, about the goddess of the South Seas (Ratu Kidul) who married a man, (Panembahan Senopati) who founded the Mataram kingdom… some many moons ago. Anyways- I bring this up because women who get married here paint their faces like Ratu Kidul on their wedding day. She has sort of a funky, pointy hairline, and a lot of makeup. There are statues of these two traditional characters everywhere, so it wasn’t a complete surprise,,, but it’s not a trend waiting to happen in the states, I think.
The second main element of the ceremony was food. It was all traditional dishes,, and if I had a better memory- I could tell you what there was; but it was all very exotic and tasty. I spent the better half of my time there eating.
Highlights: Traditional wedding last night, World Cup, Consulate visit & dinner with Lydia, Stacey & David Wolfowitz
Last night I did get the chance to go to a traditional Yogya wedding ceremony, which was on UGM campus. (not in the mosque). The bride was one of our neighbor’s kids, so I went with Ibu & Pak Rochmadi.
Ceremonies vary from region to region,, and here- it lasts about ½ hour. Nice! Tonight’s ceremony seemed to be about two things: congratulating the new couple, and food.
There was a reception line of people from the community (I shook about 30 hands just getting through the door). Everyone was wearing fancy batik clothes; men wore sarongs with a krise (wavy 12 inch traditional dagger) tucked in the back, women wore matching sarongs with beautiful red blouses. Some cover their hair, some don’t. it’s a personal religious choice.
The bride and groom stood on a stage in the front, flanked by both sets of parents, shaking hands of all the guests that came to wish them a happy marriage.
There is a local folklore that I don’t fully understand yet, about the goddess of the South Seas (Ratu Kidul) who married a man, (Panembahan Senopati) who founded the Mataram kingdom… some many moons ago. Anyways- I bring this up because women who get married here paint their faces like Ratu Kidul on their wedding day. She has sort of a funky, pointy hairline, and a lot of makeup. There are statues of these two traditional characters everywhere, so it wasn’t a complete surprise,,, but it’s not a trend waiting to happen in the states, I think.
The second main element of the ceremony was food. It was all traditional dishes,, and if I had a better memory- I could tell you what there was; but it was all very exotic and tasty. I spent the better half of my time there eating.
posted by jonathan adventures at 8:45 PM
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