Indonesia Culture Festival
Indonesia is an archipelago consists of thousands islands. Its not surprising when Indonesia has very various tribes with its own culture and unique. This time, Tripperhood will share some of Indonesia Culture Festival which is held every year. You will have a very interesting and unique experience if you can join and enjoy these festivals.
1. Chinese New Year celebration, Singkawang, Kalimanatan
Although the Chinese New Year celebrations in Indonesia was held in many places, Singkawang, which is located approximately 145 kilometers from Pontianak, may be the place that has the most festive celebration. One of the most anticipated attractions in Imlek and Cap Go Meh in Singkawang is Tatung. Uniquely, this Tatung performance involves not only the Chinese people, but also Dayak tribe. Tatung attraction is filled with mystery and tense, because many people possessed and this people called Tatung. Tatung summoning ceremony lead by pastors who will brings the spirit of a deceased person to possess Tatung. The spirits are summoned believed to be the spirits of good who is able to ward off evil spirits that want to disturb the harmony of life. The spirits are summoned will be possess into Tatung is the hero of a Chinese legend, such as warlords, judges, poets, princes, prostitutes who have repented and other saints.
2. Java Jazz Festival, JIEXPO Kemayoran, Jakarta
This event is one of the regular international event hold every year in Indonesia. In 2016, the Java Jazz Festival will take place on 4 to 6 March 2016 in JIEXPO Kemayoran, Central Jakarta. In this event, tens of thousands of people will come to witness the performance of dozens of local and international artists who pursue a long stream of jazz music. Are you one of them?
3. Legu Gam Festival, Ternate, North Maluku
Every April, to coincide with the anniversary of the Sultan of Ternate, Mudaffar Sjah, hold a festival that has long into the national agenda of activities of the Ministry of Tourism, the Legu Gam Festival. The main purpose of this festival is to preserve and promote the natural and cultural wealth Sultanates of Ternate and three others who are in the province of North Maluku. The most interesting part of the festival is the Legu dance performance, which is a kingdom dance. Therefore, this dance should not be staged and only allowed after Sultan finished third important event, named Doru Gam, Kololi Kie, and Fere Kie.
4. Semana Santa, Larantuka, NTT
Every week before Easter, Larantuka city in East Nusa Tenggara Province will celebrate Holy Week in a unique way and known as Semana Santa. In the year 2016, this celebration will be held at the end of March 2016. During the week, thousands of pilgrims not only from the islands around Flores but also from Java, Bali, and even abroad visit Larantuka. This celebration is unique because not only related to religion, but also combines the history of the Portuguese with local traditions. To reach Larantuka, you can fly to Ende and then proceed with the overland journey to Larantuka.
5. Jember Fashion Carnaval, Jember, East Java
Jember Fashion Carnaval (JFC) will take place on 21 to 24 August 2016. Next year, the carnival will be more special because it coincides with the implementation of the Archipelago Carnaval Wonderful Indonesia, attended by 10 countries in Southeast Asia. JFC uniqueness of the event lies in the concept of the event using the highway as a catwalk and unique themes in every implementation. The success of the participants in the carnival drew international attention makes them invited to various countries to show their work. To reach Jember, you can fly to Surabaya or Malang and then continue by bus for 4-5 hours.
6. Asmat Cultural Festival, Papua
Asmat culture festival has been held since 1981. The Asmat have long been known for its expertise in making carvings. They used to express the imagination into a carving without sketching first.
Various activities will be held in the festival, including boat races, demos carving, sculpture auction, and the selection of the sons and daughters Asmat. In addition, tourists can also enjoy music and dance performances of Asmat. This year the Asmat Cultural Festival held in January in Asmat, Papua.
7. Pasola War Festival, Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara
Pasola is a tradition originating from the island of Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara inherited from generation to generation for decades. Pasola celebrates to welcome the harvest at the same time to start planting. Villagers will compete dexterity on horseback while attacking the opponent with the javelin. This tradition requires that blood be shed from the fighters. According to local indigenous beliefs, the more blood comes out during the fight, the more abundant the harvest.
This festival depends on the calculations of Marapu belief, and the local community adopted recently announced two weeks before the event. The festival usually takes place in February or March. If you want to see this festival, come 2-3 days before the event Pasola. Therefore, before Pasola implemented, in the morning will do nyale tradition, which is looking for marine worms.
8. Solar Eclipse Festival, Poso Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the few areas in Indonesia which is passed by Total Solar Eclipse in this year. According to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics, Total Solar Eclipse expected to occur on 9 March 2016 and passed Poso for 2 minutes 40 seconds.
The festival will be enlivened by the appearance of several local and international musicians, artists and performers of the show. The festival is really not to be missed, because, these rare events can not be seen again in the next 40 years. GMT will pass in Palu, Bengkulu, Palembang, Tidore, and the Pacific Islands.
9. Tidore Festival, North Maluku
Tidore Festival is a cultural festival that collaborated with indigenous traditions. This event was preceded by a procession Dowari, then there will be a ritual Soa Romtoha. Soa Romtoha is a ritual, where five people gather to deliver water using rau taken from the summit of Mount Kie Matabu to be united in bamboo.
There are many other cultural attractions, such as race Kabate, Maku Tai (fishing competition), disappeared Taji Iron (Debus attraction, stone, and jumbia), and ritual Lufu Tidore Sultanate. This year, the festival Tidore scheduled to be held in April.
10. Art Jog, Yogyakarta
A festivals, fairs and international contemporary art markets held in Yogyakarta. Held since 2008, Art Jog presents hundreds of works of art by artists both locally and internationally. Here, you can enjoy, interact also bought works of art.
Art jog regularly held in July every year in the Cultural Park Yogyakarta.The theme raised is always different. Last year, the theme Infinity Art Jog In Flux, for the eighth exhibition .
11. Sentani Lake Festival, Papua
Sentani Lake Festival first time held in 2007 and has now entered into a major tourism calendar Indonesia. In this festival, tourists will be served a variety of local cultural attractions, local artwork, unique culinary of Papua, music and dance, traditional ceremonies such as treatment Omdoafi (traditional chief) etc.
If you want to enjoy the beauty of nature at the same time explore the life and exotic culture of Papua, this festival should be included in your travel agenda. Sentani Lake Festival will be held in Abepura, Papua in June.
12. Lake Toba Festival, North Sumatra
Lake Toba Festival is an annual tourist event that has been held since 2013. The festival which has been held since 1982, formerly known as Lake Toba Festival. At first time, this festival is a local event that was held as a form of gratitude for the existence of Toba Lake community who have an important role to Batak tribe who live on the coast of Toba Lake. Various activities such as art and cultural attractions and sports tourism enliven this festival.
Toba Lake which originated from an ancient volcanic eruption in North Sumatra have become one of the tourist icon Indonesia. Samosir Island became one its mainpoint. Every year at this place, the Lake Toba Festival organized by displaying a variety of art and cultural attractions and sports tourism. This year, the Lake Toba Festival will be held in September.
13. Dieng Culture Festival, Wonosobo and Banjarnegara
One of the most awaited festival, namely ruwat dreadlocks. In Dieng, some children have a genuine dreads, that is beliefs as the children of gods. At the peak of the DFC, the hair of children with natural dreadlocks hair will be cut and then later they will hold a ceremony to floated out the hair to the river.
Tourists can watch the concert “Jazz on the cloud”, festival of lanterns and fireworks, as well as film festivals. Do not forget to taste the typical drink Dieng which is Purwaceng, enjoy the typical cuisine such as ongklok noodles, tempeh kemul and carica candy. Dieng Culture Festival will be held in July or August.
14. Baliem Valley Festival, Papua
Baliem Valley Festival was originally a tribal war events between Dani, Lani and Yali tribe. At the time of the festival we can see a simulation of war and dance performances they have shown. A festival that is the scene of a power struggle between the tribes and has lasted for generations but certainly safe to enjoy. Originally this festival held in 1989 for the first time. But now Baliem Valley Festival held each yeare. The festival lasts for three days and is held every August.
15. Bull Race (Karapan Sapi), Madura
Do not miss the thrill of watching the jockeys control their cattle in the race racing against another cow couples. Some cities in organized races Madura cow in August and September each year, with the final at the end of September or October in the former city of residency, Pamekasan to compete for the trophy governor.
16. Signs Solo, Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi
Signs Solo is one of the important procession in a funeral ceremony that lasted for days and involve entire villages in Tana Toraja. Although the ceremony is not necessarily the execution time, because it depends on the readiness of the family, but generally Signs Solo ceremony will take place in December. The sacredness and excitement ceremony is already very well known to foreign countries so that visitors who come can reach thousands.
17. Tabuik festival, Padang Pariaman, West Sumatra
Tabuik Festival is one annual tradition in Pariaman community. This festival has been going on since 10 years ago; approximately since the 19th century BC. Tabuik event is part of the commemoration of the death of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussein bin Ali which falls on the 10th of Muharram and in 2016 will fall on October 12. Tabuik itself is taken from the Arabic ‘ark’ meaningful crates. The name refers to a legend about the visibility of intangible beings and human-headed winged horse called buraq. The legend tells that after the death of the grandson of the Prophet, a wooden box containing pieces of Hussein’s body was flown to the sky by buraq. Based on this legend, every year people in Pariaman make a clone of buraq, who are carrying the ark on its back.