MODULE JAVANESE WEDDING CEREMONY: FOOD & LAYOUT ASPECTS SYNOPSIS This module presents rich descriptions of stages in Javanese wedding ceremony. In Javanese culture, marriage ceremony is an important milestone of one’s life. It is an essential time to celebrate because it is the unity of two people who have different traits and backgrounds. In this module, readers will learn the marriage rituals from Yogyakarta dan Solo, two Javanese kingdoms which still exist to this day. The marriage traditions in these two palaces are slightly different. Marriage ceremonies have nowadays undergone some changes due to the change in society. Nevertheless, most Javanese people still uphold the Javanese tradition and many want to preserve the culture. Basically, marriage ceremony consists of 3 steps. They are pra-mantu, mantu, and pasca mantu. During those steps, there are many items to prepare such as piranti ̧ sesajen, meals for guests, and many kinds of equipment. Each of them has visceral meanings; one of which is gratefulness and hope or prayer for the bride and the groom to live in harmony and prosperity both in family and society. OBJECTIVES The main purpose of this module is to provide comprehensive digital information about rituals of Javanese wedding ceremony especially the food and the space aspects. It includes the symbolic meanings of food, space, and items for the wedding rituals. This module provides significant information for those who are interested in learning about the unique traditional Javanese wedding. Furthermore, it also helps disseminate our local knowledge and culture to young generation and the public so that they are more eager to preserve our local knowledge.
CONTENT What is all about? This module is about the Javanese wedding ceremony rituals. It describes the steps, the food, and the space layout for the ceremony as well as their symbolic meanings. Where is it collected from? Java Island, Indonesia Why is the knowledge important? The Javanese wedding ceremony is still well and alive; however, many young generations are not familiar with the purposes and the symbolic meanings of its aspects. Information about the Javanese wedding ceremony is abound, but the information on the food and space aspects of the ceremony is still rare. Javanese local culture and wisdom are entrenched in wedding ceremonies. It is imperative that younger generations are aware of these local wisdom. Digital information about the Javanese wedding ceremony will be a great benefit since young people are more attracted to audio visual media. What is the available knowledge? The Javanese wedding ceremony consists of three stages. They are pramantu (before the wedding), mantu (the wedding), and pasca mantu (after the wedding). In the first stage, the purpose of the rituals is to be familiar with the family members of the bride and the groom. In the past, this stage was crucial as parents arranged the marriage. Nowadays, the bride and the groom and their families know each other; thus, this stage is mostly used as dowry-giving ceremony. The dowry mostly consists of plants that symbolize the unity and properity such as bananas, sirih leaves, rice, and sticky rice cakes. The family of the groom also brings clothes, fabrics, and money for the bride. This present symbolizes the
responsibility of the groom to support the new family. In the second stage, the wedding, banana leaves, pandanus leaves, rice, and coconuts are some of the most important plants for the ceremonies and decorations. These plants symbolizes hope, prosperity, fertility, and unity. In the last stage, after the wedding, is usually held in the groom’s residence. The rituals are much more simple. They symbolize the welcoming ceremony for the bride. The parents of the groom accept the bride as their own daughter. Most of the rituals in the Javanese wedding are done in the bride’s family’s house. The front gate is decorated elaborately to welcome guests. Guests usually sit in Pendhapa or terrace. The main rituals are mostly done in the living room or Dalem. In the past, senthong or a room to store rice is reserved for the bride and groom. This place symbolizes abundant blessings or fortunes. The bathroom also play an important role in the wedding since it is the place where the bride will have siraman or bath. How does the knowledge work? In-depth information about Javanese wedding ceremony, especially about the food and the layout aspects will contribute to better understanding of Javanese local wisdom and heritage. The digital media of these rituals are made available for people, especially young generations, so that they can learn more about Javanese culture and appreciate the values embedded in those rituals. POSTSCRIPT The module provides significant addition to the already available information about the Javanese wedding ceremony. The rituals in Javanese wedding ceremony are elaborate. They symbolize the values that Javanese people embrace to this day. The module contains digital audio visual media that show the intricate layout of food and space, exquisite wedding offerings, table settings, decorations, and food presentations.
CONTENT MATERIAL Dr. V. Kristina Ananingsih, MSc. Jalan Pawiyatan Luhur IV/1 Semarang Phone : 085875576675 Email : kristina@unika.ac.id E-MODULE EDITOR Cecilia Titiek Murniati, Ph.D, University Network for Digital Knowledge (UNDK) Soegijapranata Catholic University (SCU), Jl. Pawiyatan Luhur IV/1, Semarang 50234 – INDONESIA, email: c_murniati@unika.ac.id
MINI PROJECT FINAL REPORT
1. Name of institution submitting the report Soegijapranata Catholic University 2. Institution’s academic period during which the project was implemented 2013 - 2014 3. Project title (should be consistent with proposal title) PRESERVING LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: “JAVANESE WEDDING CEREMONY: FOOD & LAYOUT ASPECTS” 4. Abstract of the report (one-paragraph summary) In this life, human beings experience life phases, one of which is wedding or marriage. It is an impressive life phase. It is an essential time to celebrate because it is the encounter of two people whose different in sex and character to unite. Hence, there is amend of marriage ceremony steps adopted from Yogyakartanese and Solonese marriage customs. Between two of them, there are many differences in order and equipments. However, in society development, though the Javanese want to perpetuate their ancestors’ culture, in Keratonbased marriage ceremony, has already changed suit to local society. Basically, marriage ceremony consists of 3 steps. They are pramantu, mantu, and pasca mantu. During those steps, there are many to prepare such as piranti¸ sesajen, meals for guests, and many kinds of equipment that have visceral meaning each. One of which is gratefulness and hope or prayer to lead a bride and a groom to be a new family that can live in harmony and welfare both in family and society. Key words: Wedding, marriage, Javanese marriage, marriage sesajen, pra mantu, mantu, pasca mantu
5. Contact person and information (Full name and title, address, telephone, fax, email) Dr. V. Kristina Ananingsih, MSc. Jalan Pawiyatan Luhur IV/1 Semarang Phone : 085875576675 Email : kristina@unika.ac.id 6. Description of Project (Activities and participants, including problems encountered and solutions attempted) There is the main team who conduct the project from beginning until the end of the project. The main team consists of 5 lecturer as the writer of the proposal, and six students from 3 Departments of SCU i.e Food Technology, Architecture and Information Technology who were recruited based on merit. In every activities of the project, we work with more people such as students, people from communities, and some expertise. Participants and activities can be seen from table below. No
Activities
Participants
Objectives and Outcomes
Success Indicator
1.
Meeting
The main team (lecturers and  students)
Planning of the next activities; sharing of knowledge related to topics; monitoring and evaluation of finished activities Outcomes: Notulen; detail of planned activities; and report of finished activities
Meeting is held twice a month, and progress report of every activities is uploaded on the web
2.
Focus group discussion (FGD)
The main team; expertise and practitioner, students, lecturers.
Presenting our plan of activities; explaining our goals, objectives, methodology; and getting feedbacks from audiences prior to activities execution. Outcomes: Updated and improved concepts of the project
FGD is held in the early stage of the project to get updated and improved concept before stepping into the next stage.
3.
Design of written module and questionnaire for surveys
The main team
Before conducting the surveys by students and other participants, modules and template for documentation must be written. The module will be used as guide on how should participants conduct the surveys. Outcomes: Written module and questionnaire for surveys
There is a guide book/ module as well as questionnaire for conducting the surveys.
Results
4.
Surveys & serving of traditional foods
The main team, recruited students, people from local communities
Survey will be conducted directly to the ethnic community and traditional wedding ceremony event organize, by doing interview, exploration, elaboration, documentation, literature study, and integrate them with existing knowledge at SCU. Outcomes: survey report and documentation
Survey result is documented and processed as report. There will also be some digital form of documentation such as pictures and videos.
5.
Digitalization, modelling and system implementation
The main team and recruited students
The result of surveys need to be digitalized, and then implemented into the system. This project will use open source system so it can be easily adopted and integrated to other institution or even other system. Outcome: A digital documentation of local knowledge, which is implemented and integrated into the system/web.
All of the documentation and information are uploaded into the system.
Students and team have been learning how to use online media as logbook. The progress of the project is shared between team or even other people who has the same interests in free “online public space� i.e. wordpress. The logbook of this project can be accessed at http://logbooktw. wordpress.com/ Students understand the advantages and limitations of how to use online media (process the size and quality of file before uploading, optimizing the content so its familiar with search engine). www.undk.asia/undk-scu Problem: For creating website with good performance (atractive) needs dynamic backoffice system than what free online media can provide. Solution: Students and team should provide good raw materials(especi-ally drawing, picture) before uploading process.
6
Workshop
The main team, students, and other registered participants
Workshop is important to share not only the content of the report, but also to share how the project  has done. Workshop will give opportunity to students and other participant to learn how digital media could be a place for sharing and conserving the local knowledge of ethnic community. Outcome: A workshop with module and system sharing
Workshop is held and participated by students and people who has interest to local knowledge sharing and conservation, especially, people who originally from the ethnic community itself.
7. Project outcomes in relation o goals and objectives 7.1 The achievement of goals and objectives This research explores all the traditional foods and describe the symbolic meaning as well as the serving preparation of
all traditional food used for Javanese wedding ceremony. The Javanese society requires a reference and detail information in order to have the completeness of wedding ceremony. Also, there has been no comprehensive information about traditional food for wedding ceremony. Therefore, the results of this research can be used as providing the information for the public, especially the younger generation of Javanese and guide them in preparation of the wedding ceremony, especially preparing the completeness of traditional foods. The main purpose of this research is providing comprehensive digital information about traditional foods for Javanese wedding ceremony including their symbolic meaning as well as a digital teaching material about traditional foods for Javanese wedding ceremony. These two objectives have been achieved as the research result has already uploaded through the web (undk-asia. com). By providing the information about this topic in the digital world, the unique traditional Javanese wedding can be accessed easily by everyone. Further, it also helps to disseminate the local knowledge about one of our culture to the young generation and the public, as well as to contribute for saving our local knowledge which come from our ancestor. In the recent modern life, rapid change can be happened toward many aspect of human life, including the tradition. The tradition, which comes from our ancestor and consist of symbolic meanings, has been put in danger situation and face its extinction. The threat of disappearing the highly value of tradition and philosophy form our ancestor especially for young generation are open widely. Therefore its time and it is urgent need to keep and to save such values, and introduce it to the young generation, and it can be done through providing the information in the form of digital information, as the main goal and objectives of this research. By providing the result of the research through the digital form, it can be said that the objective of the research has been achieved
since the information can be widely accessed not only the student but also the public. Quantitavely, the achievement can be seen from the detail and complete information that is uploaded to the web, and the quality of the display itself is very attractive to attract people to learn about Javanese traditional wedding, and this among other can be done by packing the information in an interesting way. Quantitavely, it still to be proved by the number of visitors who access this web address. However, as this information also been formatted for teaching material for the students, the dissemination of this knowledge will be more extensive. It can be said that there are no obstacles and difficulties to reach the objective of this research. By uploading all the result research, the Javanese traditional wedding ceremony can be understood by the younger generation, and hopefully this information can enrich the understanding of Javanese tradition and culture which should be kept and handed from one generation to another generation 8. Overall impact of the project and future implications 8.1 This project supports the cultural preservation of Javanese wedding ceremony, especially in food and layout aspects. It also provides a comprehensive study about Javanese wedding ceremony that can be used for improving the materials of some courses in Department of Food Technology (Socio-cultural Science, Industrial Food Services, Herbal Food and Beverage), Department of Architecture (History of Architecture, Cultural Design) and Department of Computing Science (Developing an Interactive Web). 8.2. Partnership/networks established A network has been established among academicians and persons involved in conducting Javanese wedding ceremony (i.e. perias, pranatacara). Colaboration among researchers (lecturers and students) who come from 3 (three) different major of
study (Food Technology, Architecture and Computing Science) has been developed to conduct a comprehensive study about Javanese wedding ceremony: food and layout aspects.
http://www.undk.asia/undk-scu/
Report prepared by : 1. Dr. B. Tyas Susanti 2. Moerdiartianto, ST. MSc. 3. Dr. V. Kristina Ananingsih 4. Sinta Estri W, M.Kom. 5. Fransiska Nugrahani
Date : 28 February 2014.