STORIES

Indonesian Exotic Festivals

14 April 2022

Indonesia is a multicultural nation with a rich cultural and historical background, and it is home to around 273 million individuals of various religious and cultural origins. There are several festivals, cultural events, and rituals in the country. The best way to know the culture of a city is by indulging in its vibrant festivals. Here are some of the festivals in Indonesia. Discover some of the unique cultures in Indonesia you should know.

Pasola Festival

Source id.wikipedia.org 
It is a jousting festival in which competitors ride their horses without saddles and fight one other with wooden spears. According to mythology, the celebration is held to help the local head of Waiwuang village forget his wife's betrayal in favor of a new lover. Today, The Pasola Festival is an essential annual celebration that marks the beginning of the harvest season and the entrance of the 'Nyale, or multicolored sea worms. They only appear once a year and signal the start of the festival.

Tomohon International Flower Festivals

Source: kinciakincia.com 
Flowers, such as vivid yellow and white chrysanthemums, scarlet and purple dahlias, wistful lilies, and other bright and colorful flowers, are grown on vast plots and in gardens along the main roadways. The Tomohon International Flower Festival is a series of international-scale art and cultural activities organized by the city government of Tomohon in North Sulawesi Province. This yearly event, which takes place along Jalan Tomohon, began on February 8, 2006, to introduce and promote the artistic and cultural diversity of Tomohon City tourism to Indonesian and international eyes.

Mappanretasi

Source: pariwisata-tabalog.blogspot.com
The festival of Mappanretasi is held in the province of Kalimantan Selatan. Fishers predominantly celebrate it along the shore in honor of their God and the sea, and offerings are given to the sea to provide a life for the fishers who rely on the sea's offerings. In addition to presenting thanksgiving rituals, various performances of regional cultural attractions are also held, both Bugis Pagatan cultural attractions and ethnic cultures of other ethnic groups.

Rambu Solo Ceremony

Source: twitter.com/ViolletaVio1
Rambu Solo is customary ritual death in Tana Toraja society. It is a type of burial service used to send the spirits of the deceased to the afterlife. It involves a variety of intriguing burial ceremonies conducted by the family to mitigate their misfortunes following the death of the loved one. Therefore, local people consider this an essential tradition because the perfect ceremony will determine the position of this spirit is the person who died, the soul reaches the level of the gods (to-membali puang), or become a patron deity (deata). 

Solo Batik Carnival

Source: nasional.tempo.co
The Solo Batik Carnival or SBC (Indonesian Karnaval Batik Solo) is an annual carnival held in Solo City (Surakarta City), with a procession of dancers in extravagant costumes, with emphasis on the Indonesian motif of batik. The positive benefits and benefits of SBC are felt by solo organizers or city governments and various related parties, such as the surrounding community, who get entertainment, pride, and satisfaction.
 

More Inspirations