The culture of Brunei

DECEMBER 2019 ISSUE NO 03

BRUNEI

ABODE OF PEACE

DECEMBER 2019 | ISSUE NO 03 | VND 75.000

VND 75.000

CREDITS GROUP 3 Editor-in-chief: Trịnh Kiều Trinh Designer: Trịnh Kiều Trinh Editor: Đặng Hồng Hạnh, Lê Thị Thùy Linh Image: Nguyễn Thị Thảo Cover: Nguyễn Thị Thoa

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THE CULTURE OF BRUNEI Brunei’s culture mainly derived from the Old Malay World, which encompassed the Malay Archipelago and from this stemmed what is known as the Malay Civilisation. Based on historical facts, various cultural elements and foreign civilisations had a hand in influencing the culture of this country. Thus, the influence of culture can be traced to four dominating periods of animism, Hinduism, Islam and the West. However, it was Islam that managed to wound its roots deeply into the culture of Brunei hence it became a way of life and adopted as the state’s ideology and philosophy.

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B R U N E I

Bruneian Traditional Costumes -

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The traditional costume of Brunei includes the baju kurung (a long tunic over a long skirt) for women and the baju cara melayu (a tunic and long pants) for men. The baju cara melayu is traditionally worn with a plaid or floral-patterned sarong called a sinjang, which extends from the waist to the knees.

Although the design of such garments once denoted social status, contemporary Bruneians tend to be less aware of these signifiers.

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1. WOMEN’S WEAR

The traditional Bruneian women’s costume includes the baju kurung (a long tunic over a long skirt). Women wear the baju kurung both at work and at formal occasions. Influenced by Islamic codes of dress, the costume will typically be accompanied by a headscarf.

Nowadays, Bruneian women wear the baju kurung both at work and for formal occasions.

Influenced by Islamic codes of

dress, the costume will typically be accompanied by a headscarf (a tudung).

2. MEN’S WEAR

Bruneian men wear the baju cara melayu (a tunic and long pants). The baju cara melayu is traditionally worn with a plaid or floral-patterned sarong (or Malayan kilt) called a sinjang, which extends from the waist to the knees.

Bruneian men traditionally wear a simple black

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hat called a songkok or a folded scarf called a dastar especially with ceremonial outfits.

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Brunei Darussalam Holidays and Festivals Most of the Brunei Darussalam holidays and festivals are religiously oriented, but there are also holidays that commemorate important historical events. The First Day of Hijrah, the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad, and Chinese New Year don’t have fixed dates and other notable celebrations include National Day and the Sultan’s Birthday.

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B R U N E I

NEW YEAR’S DAY The New Year’s Eve (December 31) celebration kicks off with locals playing tennis, golf, squash, scuba diving, bowling, kayaking, and even windsurfing in anticipation of New Year’s Day. Come January 1st, there are fireworks displays and exuberant gatherings for families and friends.

PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S BIRTHDAY An Islamic holiday without a fixed date, Muhammad’s Birthday usually falls in January/February. The Sultan and the rest of the royal Brunei family typically lead a procession throughout Bandar Seri Begawan.

NATIONAL DAY February 23 is Brunei’s National Day, an annual celebration of its independence from Britain. Though freedom was actually achieved on January 1, 1984, the official celebration is held every February 23 to follow tradition.

ROYAL BRUNEI ARMED FORCES DAY Armed Forces Day is celebrated every May 31 to pay tribute to the dedicated men and women behind the Royal Brunei army. You will see displays of artillery, exhibitions, parachuting, and military parades.

SULTAN’S BIRTHDAY July 15 is Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah’s birthday. He is the 29th Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of the country, and is also the first Prime Minister of Brunei. He was born in 1946 in Brunei Town, which is currently known as the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.

FIRST DAY OF HIJRA This day celebrates the migration of the prophet Muhammad and his followers to Medina from Mecca. This festival also marks the Islamic New Year, so it doesn’t have a fixed date but typically falls in June/July.

END OF RAMADAN Eid al-Fitr is the celebrated at the end of Ramadan or the month of fasting, which is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. There is also no set date, but it usually takes place in August. Children are given presents and money, and everyone wears new clothes. Muslims go to the mosque in the morning for special Eid prayers, worship and thanksgiving. The rest of the day is all about eating and socializing with friends and family.

CHRISTMAS DAY Brunei celebrates Christmas on December 25 like the rest of the world with family gatherings and gifts.

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B R U N E I

Bruneian Wedding The Bruneian wedding ceremony is usually held in a community hall or a mosque. The sermon is delivered and the matrimonial contract is accepted in front of guests and all by the bridegroom with witnesses and bride's father.

There is huge turn out of guests and an elaborate arrangements are laid out.The reception is hosted by the bride's side with lot of fervour.

[Source: nikahnama.com] On the day of wedding the bride wears a long gown which may be white or some light colour with prominent lace work at the border of the head scarf. The dress usually has a lot of flower designs and bright colors and worn with a fancy head scarf. This is the traditional dress for women. The groom wears a knee length jacket and pants of light fabric. They are bright and sober. Along with it goes cap or a traditional turban. Some couples wear western-style clothes.

Wedding dishes include bak kut, made of mutton or beef, murtabak meat crepes, kurma (a kind of rich curry with lot of spices), special kind of cutlets, vegetarian dishes like brown rice and sesame vegetables, noodles and tofu, salad with spicy peanut sauce, veggies with coconut and a spicy eggplant dish.

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B R U N E I Kim Low wrote in the Brunei Times: “One of the best times to witness some of Brunei Darussalam’s unique heritage is in its traditional wedding ceremonies.

Consisting of several rituals – mengagai or berjarumjarum; menghantar tanda pertunangan; menghantar berian; berbedak mandi; akad nikah; malam berbedak; malam berinai, also known as berpacar and penganggunan; bersanding and culminating in malam ambil-ambilan and muleh tiga hari – the Brunei Malay wedding is truly a Bruneian splendour.

Close to the wedding date, the soon-to-be groom and bride go through the berbedak mandi. Here, they are given a scrub down with a traditional body scrub by their close family members. It is both a fun and jovial affair that lets everyone celebrate the impending union. The akad nikah is the ceremony that solemnises their marriage to each other and is presided over by a religious official, or a kadi. It is during this time where the couple becomes lawfully wedded husband and wife.

“Mengagai or berjarum-jarum is when the man’s side expresses his interest to marry the woman he has chosen. The practice follows that there is no free intermingling between the sexes. Hence, the potential groom would send representatives, usually his parents, to enquire of the woman’s hand in marriage.

Today, this ceremony is also when the wedding process is set in motion, with both sides of the families meeting and discussing the other events to follow.

“During the Night of Powdering, or malam berbedak, family and friends are invited over to bless the bride and groom in their respective homes with coloured rice flour and scented oils.

The couple would be dressed in beautiful traditional attire for the ceremony, highlighting Brunei’s rich fabric heritage. Bunga rampai (a potpourri of finely shredded pandanus leaves mixed with flower petals and perfume) are also scattered over the couple’s hands to bless them.

“An event attended by close family members, the malam berinai or berpacar is a ceremony where the bride is dressed in an attire similar to malam berbedak. She sits on a dais before family members take turns to apply a pinch of pacar (henna) over her palms. For some weddings, this ceremony is carried out on the same night as the malam berbedak, while others prefer to keep it separate.

“The next ceremony is when the groom sends a proper entourage to the bride to menghantar tanda pertunangan, that literally means sending along the engagement gifts. This would be followed by the delivery of the gifts, or menghantar berian, where the groom’s side would deliver all the requests given by the bride during the engagement ceremony. It is not unusual for the groom to include additional gifts alongside the bride’s requests. During this phase, the bride may also respond by sending gifts over to the groom as well. This part of the ceremony is usually carried out in pomp, with an entourage of men or women carrying each and every gift sent on silver trays covered in intricately patterned cloths.

The wedding culminates in the bersanding ceremony, where the bride and groom are recognised as husband and wife in the eyes of a wider circle of family and friends. The bersanding is a grand and lavish event and includes a sumptuous feast. The last two ceremonies that take place after the wedding include the malam ambil-ambilan and muleh tiga hari. The first of the ceremony is held in the evening and is similar to a wedding reception, where the family members of both the bride and groom come together and celebrate their union. The final post-wedding ceremony, the muleh tiga hari, marks the event where the groom moves into the bride’s family home, until the couple chooses to move out and live on their own.

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B R U N E I

Bruneian Cuisine Bruneian cuisine concerns the cuisine of Brunei. It is similar to, and heavily influenced by the cuisine of neighbouring Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, with additional influences from India, China, Thailand, and Japan. As is common in the region, fish and rice are staple foods, though beef is expensive and thus less common.

Due to the predominance of the Islamic religion, the food is halal and pork is avoided. Alcohol is banned in Brunei. In rural areas, game animals such as wild birds, sambar deer, and barking deer are hunted.

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B R U N E I

Dishes from Brunei are often spicy, and are commonly eaten with either rice or noodles. Beef rendang, nasi lemak and puteri nanas, are popular foods in Brunei.

Nasi katok, which literally means "knock rice", is a popular meal which consists of plain rice, fried chicken and sambal, a spicy relish made from ground chili peppers and a variety of secondary ingredients including but not limited to shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, palm sugar, lime juice, vinegar and even grated cheese. Nasi katok is traditionally served wrapped in brown paper.

Bruneian locals would most probably offer daging masak lada hitam to tourists, because this dish is a national specialty.It looks like a simple stew of beef, potatoes, and beans, but it’s quite delicious.

Nasi lemak is usually composed of a platter of rice surrounded by sliced cucumber, anchovies, roasted peanuts, hard-boiled egg, and chicken or beef with hot spicy sauce. The best nasi lemak is made by cooking the rice with coconut milk instead of water. Traditionally, nasi lemak is served on banana leaves – but many restaurants just serve it in regular plates nowadays.

Best served while it’s hot, ambuyat is a unique Bruneian dish made from sago, which is starch from the sago plant.Ambuyat may not look very attractive or appetizing because it has a plain white gluelike appearance and a starchy bland taste, since it’s made from sago starch.But once you know the trick to eating it, you’ll probably enjoy more than a mouthful of it.

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B R U N E I

Customs In Brunei Brunei is a tightly-knit, conservative community filled with warm politeness, evident in the way we speak, dress and carry ourselves.

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B R U N E I

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MEETING ETIQUETTE

GIFT GIVING ETIQUETTE If invited to someone's home for dinner bring good quality chocolates or fruit.

Do not give toy dogs to children.

Do not give anything made of pigskin.

If giving foodstuffs ensure there is no gelatine or any other ingredient which is not ‘halal’.Also, ensure that food wrappings do not include any images which might be islamically offensive.

Avoid white wrapping paper as it symbolizes death and mourning.

Offer gifts with the right hand only or both hands if the item is large.

Gifts are generally not opened when received.

The common greeting depends upon the ethnic origin and the age of the person.

In general, many men you meet will have adopted the western concept of shaking hands, although this is not always the case with older Bruneians or with women.

Ethnic Malay men shake hands with one another, but men and women do not traditionally shake hands.

Younger Bruneians may shake hands with foreign women or they may merely bow their head in greeting.

It is considered respectful to bow your head when someone who is senior to yourself in age or position.

It is considered disrespectful and rude to stare into another person's eyes, particularly those of a person who is senior to you in age or status.

3.Dining Etiquette For the most part, Bruneians do not invite foreigners into their homes. If you are invited to a Bruneian home, consider it a great honour and testament to your personal relationship.

Punctuality is not strictly adhered to. You may arrive a little late without causing offense.

Shoes are generally removed before entering a house.

Greet the eldest person first.

Wait to be told where to sit.

It is considered good manners to accept an offer of food or a beverage. Turning down hospitality may be viewed as personal rejection.

Wait to be invited to eat before starting.

Food is often served buffet style or on a revolving tray in the centre of the table.

The guest of honor may be served first or the eldest person may.

Do not eat with the left hand, as it is considered unclean.

Eat or pass food with your right hand only.

Many Malays eat with their fingers. Alternatively, they may serve cutlery for foreign guests, usually a fork and a tablespoon.

If passing a plate that is heavy, you may use your left hand to support your right wrist.

When you are finished eating, place your fork facing downward on your plate with your spoon, also facing downward, crossed over the fork.

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CONTENTS 02 04 06 08 10

Bruneian Traditional Costumes Brunei Holidays & Festival Bruneian Wedding Bruneian Cuisine Customs in Brunei

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