Tradisional Culture of Belitung

1. Buang Jong 

 

Buang Jong. This traditional culture, hereditary is carried out each year by Sawang tribe in Belitung Timur Regency on every commencement of the west season wind, generally on August or November, on which the wind and wave is very big and fierce. This natural sympton considered as a sign that they (Sawang Tribe), have to begin hold the offering to the God of the sea, through the ritual ceremony of "Buang Jong" with the purpose asking for protection and safety, so that they would be avoided from disaster while they are sailing to the open sea to catch fish.

This procession will last 3 days and night, in accordance with the custom conditions of the ceremony which must be fulfilled. All the ceremony process led by a dukun (shaman) or custom leader of the community. To promote this tradition to be one of the tourism activities, nowadays, it can be watched on every November, in ceremony of "Buang Jong Festival".

2. Maras Taun

 

"Maras” in Malay Belitung dialect means "cutting" and “taun” means year. Maras Taun occurs once a year after the harvest of rice from dry-field paddy fields. Maras Taun, held annually by Belitung agriculture people in order to thank God for their success of rice harvest. The main rituals in Maras Taun Ceremony are: Prelude Prayer, Sepen Dance and Closing prayer, in Maras Taun Festival we can see traditional performances of Betitung such as: Sepen Dance, Nutok Lesong Panjang or Ngemping. In Maras Taun Festival young people meet each other and sometimes they become close and get marned after knowing each other along the festival.

The festival is opened with a farmer dance. They sing a Maras Taun song together to accompany the dance. After the dance ends, a village chief (a Muslim leader) appears and leads the people in prayer. The chief burns a piece of agarwood which causes a fragrant smell; then, he says the prayers and blesses two pieces of sacred leaves called daun ati-ati or daun kesalan, a variety of medicinal mint also known as Asian oregano. Afterward, the sacred leaves are given to the people. The islanders spread the leaves around their homes and boats because they believe that the sacred leaves bring luck.

Before the harvest festival, people gather pounded rice that will be cooked as lepat. “Lepat” is a variety of steamed cake made from red rice, which is filled with a piece of fish or meat and wrapped with young coconut leaves. Hundreds of lepats will be distributed to the villagers at the end of the festival.