Wedding Parties: Kediri Vs Malang

Essay Writing (Comparison and Contrast Essay)

Henny Rahmawati/807221410578

Wedding Parties: Kediri Vs Malang

Newly-wed Couple (Kediri)

            Wedding parties are universally held by people across countries. The different ethnic group will have the different ways in heralding these parties. Javanese people also have a special ceremony in this occasion. Within the same culture, people have common ways to conduct wedding parties. As an example, people, who live in Kediri and Malang both are Javanese people, have the same basic custom in the wedding parties. However, those two parties are still considered different in the following three cases.

            The first case that makes Kediri’s and Malang’s wedding parties different is the bride’s and groom’s attires (Javanese blouses). In Kediri, the bride and groom wear traditional attires colored in black during the first meeting between the bride and groom in wedding ceremony or panggih/temu manten in Javanese term. For the bride such blouse is called kebaya. Besides, in this ritual, the bride, with traditional hairdo called gelungan, wears jewelries and other special accessories. While the groom wears a ceremonial knife called keris and some other particular accessories for him. In Malang, the wedding parties in terms of the bride’s and groom’s attires mostly remain the same. The difference lies on the color of the attires used during the first meeting between bride and groom in wedding ceremony or panggih/temu manten. In contrast to wedding parties conducted in Kediri, wedding parties conducted in Malang does not require the bride and groom to wear black attires when doing such ceremony.

Newly-wed Couple (Malang)

            The difference of the wedding ceremony in Kediri and Malang does not only end with the traditional attires but also the rituals. Kediri’s wedding party has some major ceremonies. The ceremony of the first meeting between bride and groom is called panggih or temu manten. Then, the ritual of crashing an egg done by the groom’s right foot; then, the bride washes it by using water mixed with several kinds of flowers. Javanese people call it wiji dadi. Next, sindur binayang or the ritual when the bride’s father leads the couple to walk towards the wedding chairs while the bride’s mother covers the couple's shoulders with shawl called sindur. After that, the bride and groom do kacar kucur or tampa kaya ritual. This ceremony is conducted when the groom pours some soybeans, peanuts, paddy rice, corns, yellow rice, Dlingo bengle herbs, flowers and coins of different values by using a piece of cloth. Simultaneously, the bride receives her bride’s giving by using a piece of cloth also. The following is dahar klimah or dahar kembul that is undergone when the bride and groom are feeding each other. The last is the ritual when the couple should kneel and appeal their parents’ blessing—first to the bride’s parents, then to the groom’s parents. It is called sungkeman in Javanese term. Unlike before, in Malang’s wedding parties, ‘wiji dadi’ is no longer conducted. Still, the other rituals are preserved well. Nowadays, such ritual is omitted.

            Other than the traditional attires and the rituals, the differences also lie on the reception. In Kediri, bringing some stuff such as rice, noodle, eggs and etc. is a common thing when people visit the newly-wed couple. They believe that giving those things will make them getting a closer relationship. Conversely, this custom is not preserved in Malang.  The people prefer to bring some money rather than to bring some stuff. Based on my interview with Malang people, to give some money is more practical and it maybe more useful for the host rather than to give some stuff.

            In conclusion, within the same custom, the way of conducting wedding parties can be different. In this case, the differences between Kediri and Malang’s wedding parties lay on these three aspects namely the dressing, the ritual, and the reception.

Negoro, S.S. 1997-1998. Traditional Javanese Wedding Ceremonies, accessed on October 20, 2010, http://home.wanadoo.nl/javas/Cultuur/Joglosemar-Wedding/WeddingCeremony.htm. PT Sangga Sarana Persada