Tingkepan Ceremony

Javanese Tradition

By: Nurlita Btari Fatimah

XII IPA 4 SMA Negeri 1 Medan

A.Y 2011-2012

TINGKEPAN CEREMONY
Tingkepan ceremony also known as mitoni which comes from the word pitu (seven). Tingkepan ceremony is done to mark 7 months of the first pregnancy. In Tingkepan ceremony, a pregnant woman is bathed with fragranced water and chanted. A. Procedures of Tingkepan Ceremony : 1. Siraman (bathing); done by seven elders. Symbolizes blessing of elders hoping for pure mind and body. After siraman is done, water collected from seven separate springs is used to wash the face. Then, the kendi (clay water pot) is broken. 2. Placing organic chicken eggs into a sheet of cloth (sarong) of the mother to be by her husband through the stomach part until the egg is broken. This symbolizes hope that the delivering process will be done smoothly without any complications. 3. Changes clothing 7 times with white cloth. White cloth symbolizes that the baby to be will be pure and blessed by God. After each clothing change audience will be asked, Udah pantas belum? which means is this nice? referring to the clothings worn. For six times, audience which consists of women will say, belum pantas which means not yet. On the seventh try and this time the pregnant woman wear a humble clothing, audience will say yes, its nice." On the seventh set of clothing, the pregnant woman will wear a humble dress with one of these motif : a. Sidoluhur e. Udan Riris b. Sidomukti f. Sido Asih c. Truntum g. Lasem as the bottom d. Wahyu Tumurun h. Dringin as the top Each motifs which can be worn the last contains symbolic meanings. 1. Wahyu Tumurun Hope that the future baby will be a person who always closes and pray to God for direction and so that God will guide and protect him or her for the entire life. 2. Sido Asih Hope that the future baby will be adored and loved by others and so be loving and caring.

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Sidomukti. Hope that the future baby will be a charming person, happy and admired for his or her charisma.

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Truntum. Hope that the future baby will inherit the parents good deeds.

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Sidoluhur. Hope that the future baby will be a polite and ethical person.

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Parangkusumo. Hope that the future baby will be smart, sharp thinking like the sharpness of a sword and skillful like a strong warrior. Hoped to be able to mikul dhuwur mendhem jero (bring goodwill to the family) Semen romo. Hope that the future baby will be loving and caring to others like the love between Rama and Sinta. Udan riris. Hope that the future baby will be able to bring joy and happiness to whomever he or she socialize.

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Cakar ayam. Hope that the future baby will be smart in building wealth like the skills of a chicken in finding food with its feet because of its responsibility towards its family. It also hopes that his or her live will be well off or even rich and wealthy. Grompol. Hope that the future baby will build a good family without divorce or other separations due to disharmony. Grompol means unity.

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Lasem. A motif with vertical lines, symbolizes hope that the future baby will always serve God.

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Dringin. Hope that the future baby will be able to socialize well and contributes positively towards society

A white cloth is used for the undergarment for the cloth changing process. This symbolizes that mothers acts should be based with a white heart. If in the future the family happy and wealthy with many facility and richness, it hopes that they will always be humble and worships God.

4. Cutting of Lawe (belt made of young palm leaves) Done by her husband using Keris Brojol, which tip is decorated, hoping that the delivery process will be easy. 5. The mother of the pregnant woman holds a coconut with the mother of the father to be. The coconut is slipped through inside of the womans clothing from the stomach down and received by the future grandmother of the baby. This symbolizes that the baby will be born easily without any difficulties. The husband then breaks the coconut and picks the part which already drawn the image of Kamajaya and Kamaratih, Harjuna and Wara Sembodro, or Srikandi. 6. The ceremony is continued by picking yellow rice by the husband. Then the couple symbolically sells dawet (drink filled with coconut water and jelly) and rujak (Javanese salad) which is paid by the visitors with round kreweng (a piece of broken clay roof tile) like a coin. The revenue is collected in a clay container. The container filled with kreweng is then broken in front of the doorway hoping that the future child will be wealthy and able to finance his or her family and give much charity. 7. The guests are served as a form of grace to God in the tingkepan ceremony. The servings are: a. Seven types of puddings including procot b. Tumpeng Kuat, Rice served in the shape of a cone hoping that the baby will be healthy and strong. Tumpeng is decorated without chilly, with boiled chicken and other decorated side dishes. c. Jajan Pasar (various snacks), that has to be bought in the traditional marketplace (cakes, fruits, and snacks)

d. Salad with seven types of fruit, served as well as possible to be tasty so the baby will be pleasing to the family. e. Dawet, make fresh. f. Seven types of roots g. Sajen Medikingan, made for the coming pregnancy; consists of: - Cone shaped yellow rice - Enten-enten, which is shredded coconut mixed with brown sugar and cooked to dry. - Nasi loyang, which is two time steamed yellow rice, soaked in water, and reteamed with shredded coconut - Bubur procot, which is grinned rice with coconut milk, brown sugar, mixed in a pan to be cooked B. Chronology Tingkepan Ceremony 1. Time of Ceremony Tingkepan ceremony is begins between 9:00 am. until 11:00 am. The mother to be bathes, washes her hair thoroughly symbolizes pure will. At about 3:00 4:00 pm. Tingkepan processes begin. It is believed that at that time angels decent from heaven to bathe. Invitation usually says 2:30 pm. Day of Ceremony Usually organized on Wednesday or Saturday, 14th or 15th day of the month on Javanese calendar. These dates are full moon dates. This symbolizes the hope that the baby will emit shinning light and to be a clever person. Bathing the Mother Seven close relative mothers operate this ceremony. The ceremony is lead by an experienced mother. Equipment needed: One table covered with a clean white cloth usually covered with sindur cloth, lurik yuyu sekandang cloth, mayang mekak letrrek, dadap srep leaf, kluwih leaf, and long grass. These things are for cover when bathing

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5. Other equipment - Bokor (water container) is filled with water from 7 different springs and fragrances - Coconut shell for taking the water. - Boreh for body scrub. - Kendi (clay water pot) for the last rinse. - Two small towels to wipe and dry the body after siraman .- Two and a half meter of cotton sheet for after the siraman

- 1 domestic chicken egg wrapped in plastic. - Two ivory cups carved with the image of Kamajaya and Kamaratih or Arjuna and Wara Sembada - Seven pairs of Nyamping dress, two meters coconut leaves - Under garments and tray for kebaya and seven Nyamping Sheets and corset neatly placed - A set of Javanese traditional male dress with a pair Truntum Batik sheet. The father and mother to be dresses in complete Javanese dress. The mother hair is loose and she wears no jewelry. 6. Tingkepan Offerings

1. Tumpeng (Cone shaped rice) with kuluban, boiled egg, salted fried fish. 2. Peyon/pleret (colorful traditional steamed cookies) 3. A pair of roasted whole chicken placed with stomach facing upward 4. Ketupat Lepet (rice wrapped in coconut leaves, cut and filled with spices) 5. Various fruits 6. Traditional Snacks and arrowroot 7. A set of flowers and dry fried black sticky rice 8. White sweet porridge 9. Brown sugar porridge 10. Sengkala Porridge 11. Procot procot/sticky rice, sticky rice soaked in coconut milk, boiled, and wrapped with uncut yellow coconut leaves 12. Yellow rice with scrambled eggs, fried anchovies, chicken, and spices toppings 13. Dawet Ayu (coconut milk, brown sugar and jelly drink) 14. Sweet fruit salad with seven types of fruits The equipment for tingkepan is being prayed for the safety of the whole family. Then, eaten together with guests and dawet ayu for the desert.