Culture of Indonesia

The culture of Indonesia has been shaped by long interaction between original indigenous customs and multiple foreign influences. Indonesia is centrally-located along ancient trading routes between the Far East, South Asia and the iddle East, resulting in many cultural practices being strongly influenced by a multitude of religions, including!induism, "uddhism, Confucianism, Islam and Christianity, all strong in the ma#or trading cities. The result is a comple$ cultural mi$ture %ery different from the original indigenous cultures. E$amples of cultural fusion include the fusion of Islam with !indu in &a%anese Abanganbelief, the fusion of !induism, "uddhism and animism in "odha, and the fusion of !induism and animism in 'aharingan( others could be cited. "alinese dances ha%e stories about ancient "uddhist and !indu )ingdoms, while Islamic art forms and architecture are present in Sumatra, especially in the inang)abau andAceh regions. Traditional art, music and sport are combined in a martial art form called*enca) Silat. +estern culture has greatly influenced Indonesia in science, technology and modern entertainment such as tele%ision shows, film and music, as well as political system and issues. India has notably influenced Indonesian songs and mo%ies. A popular type of song is the Indian-rhythmical dangdut, which is often mi$ed with Arab and alay fol) music. ,espite the influences of foreign culture, some remote Indonesian regions still preser%e uni-uely indigenous culture. Indigenous ethnic groups entawai, Asmat, ,ani, ,aya),Tora#a and many others are still practicing their ethnic rituals, customs and wearing traditional clothes.

Music
Indonesia is home to %arious styles of music, with those from the islands of &a%a, Sumatraand "ali being fre-uently recorded. The traditional music of central and East &a%a and "ali is the gamelan. .n &une /0, 1023, 'oes *lus, a leading Indonesian pop group in the 1024s, 1054s and 1064s, was imprisoned in 7lodo), +est &a)arta, for playing +estern-style music. After the resignation of *resident Su)arno, the law was rescinded, and in the 1054s the 7lodo) prison was dismantled and replaced with a large shopping mall. 'roncong is a musical genre that uses guitars and u)ulele as the main musical instruments. This genre had its roots in *ortugal and was introduced by *ortuguese traders in the 13th century. There is a traditional Keroncong Tugu music group in 8orth &a)arta and other traditional 'eroncong music groups in alu)u, with strong *ortuguese influences. This music genre was popular in the first half of the /4th century( a contemporary form of 'roncong is called *op 'roncong. Ang)lung musical orchestra, nati%e of +est &a%a, recei%ed international recognition as 98ESC. has listed the traditional +est &a%a musical instrument made from bamboo in the list of intangible cultural heritage.:1;:/; The soft Sasando music from the pro%ince of East 8usa Tenggara in +est Timor is completely different. Sasando uses an instrument made from a split leaf of the <ontar palm = Borassus flabellifer>, which bears some resemblance to a harp.

Dance
Indonesian dance reflects the di%ersity of culture from ethnic groups that composed the nation of Indonesia. Austronesian roots and elanesian tribal dance forms are %isible, and influences ranging from neighboring Asian countries( such as India, China, and iddle East to European western styles through coloni?ation. Each ethnic group has their own distinct dances( ma)es total dances in Indonesia are more than @444 Indonesian original dances. !owe%er, the dances of Indonesia can be di%ided into three eras( the *rehistoric Era, the !induA"uddhist Era and the Era of Islam, and into two genres( court dance and fol) dance. There is a continuum in the traditional dances depicting episodes from the Bamayana and ahabharata from India, ranging through Thailand, all the way to "ali. There is a mar)ed difference, though, between the highly styli?ed dances of the courts of Cogya)arta and Sura)arta and their popular %ariations. +hile the court dances are promoted and e%en performed internationally, the popular forms of dance art and drama must largely be disco%ered locally. ,uring the last few years, Saman from 8anggroe Aceh ,arussalam has become rather popular and is often portrayed on TD. Beog*onorogo is also a dance that originated from the district *onorogo, East &a%a, which is a %isuali?ation of the legendary story +eng)er )ingdom and the )ingdom of 'ediri. A popular line dance called Poco-poco was originated in Indonesia and also popular in alaysia, but at early April /411 alaysian Islamic clerics ban poco-poco dance for uslims due to they belie%e it is traditionally a Christian dance and that its steps ma)e the sign of the cross. :@;

Drama and theatre

+ayang, the &a%anese, Sundanese, and "alinese shadow puppet theatre shows display se%eral mythological legends such as Bamayanaand ahabharata, and many more. +ayang .rang is &a%anese traditional dance drama based on wayang stories. Darious "alinese dance drama also can be included within traditional form of Indonesian drama. Another form of local drama is &a%anese <udru) and 'etopra), Sundanese Sandiwara, and "etawi <enong. All of these drama incorporated humor and #est, often in%ol%ing audiences in their performance. Bandai is a fol) theatre tradition of the inang)abau people of +est Sumatra, usually performed for traditional ceremonies and festi%als. It incorporates music, singing, dance, drama and the silat martial art, with performances often based on semi-historical inang)abau legends and lo%e story. odern performing art also de%eloped in Indonesia with their distinct style of drama. 8otable theatre, dance, and drama troupe such asTeater 'oma are gain popularity in Indonesia as their drama often portray social and political satire of Indonesian society.

Martial Art
The art of silat was created and firstly de%eloped in the islands of &a%a and Sumatra. It is an art for sur%i%al and practiced throughout Indonesian archipelago. Centuries of tribal wars in Indonesian history had shaped silat as it was used by the ancient warriors of Indonesia. Silat was used to determine the ran) and position in old Indonesian )ingdoms. Contacts with Indians and Chinese was further enriched silat. Silat reached areas beyond Indonesia mainly through diaspora of Indonesian people. *eople from %arious regions li)e Aceh, inang)abau, Biau, "ugis, a)assar, &a%a, "an#ar, etc. mo%ed into and settled in alay

*eninsula and other islands. They brought silat and passed it down to their descendants. TheIndonesian of half-,utch descent are also credited as the first to brought the art into Europe. Silat was used by Indonesian freedom fighters during their struggle against the ,utch colonists. 9nfortunately after Indonesia achie%ing their independence, silat became less popular among Indonesian youth compare to foreign martial arts li)e 'arate and Tae)wondo. This probably because silat was not taught openly and only passed down among blood relati%es, the other reason is the lac) of media portrayal of the art. Efforts ha%e been made in recent years to introduce and reintroduce the beauty of silat to Indonesian youth and the world. E$hibitions and promotions by indi%iduals as well as state-sponsored groups helped the growing of silatEs popularity, particularly in Europe and 9nited States. Indonesian /440 Silat mo%ie erantau is one of Indonesian efforts to introduce silat to international scene. Another martial art from Indonesia is Tarung ,era#at. It is a modern combat system created by !a#i Ahmad ,ra#at based on his e$perience as a street fighter. Tarung ,ra#at has been ac)nowledge as a national sport by '.8I in 1006 and is now used by Indonesian Army as part of their basic training.

Traditional visual arts

Painting
+hat Indonesian painting before the 10th century are mostly restricted to the decorati%e arts, considered to be a religious and spiritual acti%ity, comparable to the pre-1F44 European art. Artists name are anonymous, since the indi%idual human creator was seen as far less important than their creation to honor the deities or spirits. Some e$amples are the 'enyahdecorati%e art, based on endemic natural motifs such as ferns and hornbills, found decorating the walls of 'enyah long houses. .ther notable traditional art is the geometricTora#a wood car%ings. "alinese painting are initially the narati%e images to depict scenes of "alinese legends and religious scripts. The classical "alinese paintings are often decorating the lontar manuscripts and also the ceilings of temples pa%ilion. 9nder the influence of the ,utch colonial power, a trend toward +estern-style painting emerged in the 10th century. In the 8etherlands, the term GIndonesian *aintingG is applied to the paintings produced by ,utch or other foreign artists who li%ed and wor)ed in the former 8etherlands-Indies. The most famous indigenous 10th century Indonesian painter is Baden Saleh =1645H1655>, the first indigenous artist to study in Europe. !is art is hea%ily influenced by Bomanticism.:F; In 10/4Es +alter Spies began to settled in "ali, he is often credited with attracting the attention of +estern cultural figures to "alinese culture and art. !is wor)s has somehow influenced "alinese artists and painters. Today "ali has one of the most %i%id and richest painting tradition in Indonesia. The 10/4s to 10F4s were a time of growing nationalism in Indonesia. The pre%ious period of romanticism mo%ement was not seen as a purely Indonesian mo%ement and did not de%eloped. *ainters began to see the natural world for inspiration. Some e$amples of Indonesian painter during this period are the "alinese Ida "agus ade and the realist "asu)i Abdullah. The Indonesian *ainters Association =Persatuan Ahli-Ahli Gambar Indonesia or *EBSA7I, 10@6H10F/> was formed during this period. *EBSA7I established a contemporary art philosophy that saw art wor)s as reflections of the artistIs indi%idual or personal %iew as well as an e$pression of national cultural thoughts.

From the 10F4s on, artists started to mi$ +estern techni-ues with Southeast Asian imagery and content. *ainters that rooted in the re%olutionary mo%ement of the +orld +ar and the post-+orld +ar period started to appear during this period, such as Sud#o#ono,Affandi, and !endra.:3; ,uring the 1024s, new elements were added when abstract e$pressionism and Islamic art began to be absorbed by the art community. Also during this period, group of painters that are more concerned about the reality of Indonesian society began to appear, ta)ing inspiration from the social problem such as di%ision between the rich and the poor, pollution, and deforestation. The national identity of Indonesia was stressed by these painters through the use of a realistic, documentary style. ,uring the Su)arno period this socially-engaged art was officially promoted, but after 1023 it lost popularity due to its presumed communist tendencies.:2; Three art academies offer e$tensi%e formal training in %isual artJ "andung Institute of Technology founded in 10F5( the Akademi Seni Rupa Indonesia =Indonesian Fine Arts Academy> or ASBI, now )nown as ISI, in Cogya)arta was inaugurated in 1034( and the Institut Kesenian Jakarta =&a)arta Arts Institute> or I'&, was opened in 1054.

Sculpture
Indonesia has a long history of stone, bron?e and Iron Ages arts. The megalithic sculptures can be found in numerous archaeological sites in Sumatra, &a%a to Sulawesi. The nati%e Indonesians tribes ha%e their own distinct tribal sculpture styles, usually created to depict ancestors, deities and animals. The pre!indu-"udhist and pre-Islamic sculptures can be traced in the artwor)s of indigenous Indonesian tribes. The most notable sculptures are those of Asmat wooden sculpture of *apua, the ,aya) wooden mas) and sculpture, the ancestral wooden statue of Tora#a, also the totem-li)e sculpture of "ata) and 8ias tribe. The stone sculpture artform particularly flourished in 6th-to-14th-century &a%a and "ali, which demonstrate the influences of !indu-"uddhist culture, both as stand-alone wor)s of art and also incorporated into temples. ost notable sculpture of classical !indu-"uddhist era of Indonesia are the hundreds of meters of relief and hundreds of stone buddhas at the temple of "orobudur in central &a%a. Appro$imately two miles of e$-uisite relief sculpture tell the story of the life of "uddha and illustrate his teachings. The temple was originally home to 34F statues of the seated "uddha. This site, as with others in central &a%a, show a clear Indian influence. The e$amples of notable Indonesian !indu-"uddhist sculptures are( the statues of !indu deities( Shi%a, Dishnu, "rahma, ,urga, 7anesha and Agastya enthroned in rooms of *rambanan temples, the Dishnumounting 7aruda statue of )ing Airlangga, the e$-uisite statue of Eastern &a%anese *ra#naparamita and @.5 meters tall ,%arapala dated from Singhasari period, and also the grand statue of "haira%a Adityawarman disco%ered in Sumatra. Today, the !indu-"uddhist style stone sculptures are reproduced in %illages in untilan near "orobudur also in "ali, and sold as garden or pool ornament statues for homes, offices and hotels. Today in Indonesia, the richest, most elaborate and %i%id wooden sculpture and wood car%ing traditions can be found in "ali and &epara, Central &a%a. "alinese handicrafts such as sculptures, mas)s, and other car%ing artwor)s are popular sou%enir for tourist that ha%e %isited Indonesia. .n the other hand the &epara wood car%ing are famous for its elaborately car%ed wooden furnitures, folding screensalso pelaminan geb ok =wedding throne with car%ed bac)ground>.

Architecture
For centuries, the Indonesian %ernacular architecture has shaped settlements in Indonesia which commonly too) form of timber structures built on stilts dominated by large roof. The most dominant foreign influences on Indonesian architecture were Indian, although European influences ha%e been particularly strong since the 10th century and modern architecture in Indonesia is international in scope. As in much of South East Asia, traditional %ernacular architecture in Indonesia are built on stilts, with the significant e$ceptions of &a%a and "ali. 8otable stilt houses are those of the,aya) people in "orneo, the Bumah 7adang of the inang)abau people in western Sumatra, the "ata) people in northern Sumatra, and the Tongkonan of the Tora#a people inSulawesi. .%ersi?ed saddle roofs with large ea%es, such as the homes of the "ata) and thetongkonan of Tora#a, are often bigger than the house they shelter. The fronts of Tora#an houses are fre-uently decorated with buffalo horns, stac)ed one abo%e another, as an indication of status. The outside walls also fre-uently feature decorati%e reliefs. The 6th-century "orobudur temple near Cogya)arta is the largest "uddhist temple in the world, and is notable for incorporating about /,25/ relief panels and 34F "uddha statues into its structure, telling the story of the life of the "uddha. As the %isitor ascends through the eight le%els of the temple, the story unfolds, the final three le%els simply containing stupas and statues of the "uddha. The building is said to incorporate a map of the "uddhist cosmos and is a masterful fusion of the didactic narrati%e relief, spiritual symbolism, monumental design and the serene meditati%e en%irons. The whole monument itself resembles a giant stupa, but seen from abo%e it forms a mandala.:5; The nearby 0th-century temple comple$ at *rambanan contains some of the best preser%ed e$amples of !indu temple architecture in &a%a. The temple comple$ comprises eight main shrines, surrounded by //F smaller shrines. The Indian influence on the site is clear, not only in the style of the monument, but also in the reliefs featuring scenes from the Bamayana which adorn the outer walls of the main temples, and in the %oti%e statuary found within.

Crafts
Se%eral Indonesian islands are famous for their bati),i)at and song)et cloth. .nce on the brin) of disappearing, bati) and later i)at found a new lease of life when former *resident Suharto promoted wearing bati) shirts on official occasions. In addition to the traditional patterns with their special meanings, used for particular occasions, bati) designs ha%e become creati%e and di%erse o%er the last few years. .ther worldwide famous Indonesian crafts are &eparawood car%ing:6; and 'ris. In /443, 98ESC. recogni?ed 'ris as one of asterpiece of the .ral and Intangible !eritage of !umanity from Indonesia.:0;

Literature
*ramoedya Ananta Toer was IndonesiaEs most internationally celebrated author, ha%ing won the agsaysay Award as well as being considered for the 8obel *ri?e in <iterature. .ther important figures include the late Chairil Anwar, a poet and member of the G7eneration F3G group of authors who were acti%e in the Indonesian independence mo%ement. Tight information controls during SuhartoEs presidency suppressed new writing, especially because of its ability to agitate for social reform. In the boo) !a" #a$elaar, ,utch author gained him international attention. ultatuli criticised the ,utch treatment of the Indonesians, which

odern Indonesian authors include Seno 7umira Ad#idarma, Andrea !irata, !abiburrahman El Shira?y, Ayu 9tami, 7us tf Sa)ai, E)a 'urniawan, Batih 'umala, ,ee, .)a Busmini. Some of their wor)s ha%e translated into other languages.

Poetry
There is a long tradition in Indonesia, particularly among ethnically alay populations, of e$temporary, interacti%e, oral composition of poetry. These poems are referred to as pantun. Contemporary Indonesian poets include among others, Sutard#i Cal?oum "achri,Bendra, Taufi- Ismail, Afri?al alna,:14; "inhad 8urrohmat, &o)o *inurbo, Sapardi ,#o)o ,amono.

Recreation and sports

any traditional games are still preser%ed and popular in Indonesia, although western culture has influenced some parts of them. Among three hundred officially recogni?ed Indonesian cultures, there are many )inds of traditional gamesJ coc)fighting in "ali, annual bull races in adura, and stone #umping in 8ias. Stone #umping in%ol%es leaping o%er a stone wall about up to 1.3 m high and was originally used to train warriors. *enca) Silat is another popular form of sport, which was influenced by Asian culture as a whole. Another form of national sport is sepak takra%.:11; The rules are similar to %olleyballJ to )eep the rattan ball in the air with the playersE feet. *opular modern sports in Indonesia played at the international le%el include football =soccer>,badminton and bas)etball.:1/; "adminton is one of IndonesiaEs most successful sports. Indonesian badminton athletes ha%e played in Indonesia .pen "adminton Championship, All England .pen "adminton Championships, and many international e%ents, including theSummer .lympics and won .lympic gold medals since badminton was made an .lympic sport in 100/. Budy !artono is a legendary Indonesian badminton player, who won All England titles se%en times in a row =1026 through 105F>. Indonesian teams ha%e won theThomas Cup =menEs world team championship> thirteen of the twenty-two times that it has been contested since they entered the series in 1035. :1@; In the hugely internationally popular sport of football =soccer>, Indonesian teams ha%e been acti%e in the Asian Football Confederation =AFC>. Sporting e%ents in Indonesia are organised by the Indonesian 8ational Sport Committee ='.8I>. The Committee, along with the go%ernment of Indonesia, ha%e set a 8ational Sports ,ay on e%ery September 0 with GSports for AllG as the motto. Indonesia has hosted the Southeast Asian 7ames four times, in 1050, 1065, 1005 and /411, and won o%erall champion title in each of these years. As of /411, Indonesia has won champion titles 14 times o%erall out of 16 SEA 7ames it has attended since debuted in 1055. The country also hosted the 100@ Asian "as)etball Championship.:1F;

Cuisine
The cuisine of Indonesia has been influenced byChinese culture and Indian culture, as well as by+estern culture. !owe%er in return, Indonesian cuisine has also contributed to the cuisines of neighboring countries, notably alaysia and Singapore, where *adang or inang)abau cuisine from +est Sumatra is %ery popular. Also Satay=Sate in Indonesian>, which originated from &a%a, adura, and Sumatra, has gained popularity as a street %endor food from Singapore to Thailand. In the 13th century, both the *ortuguese and Arab traders arri%ed in Indonesia with the intention of trading for pepper and

other spices. ,uring the colonial era, immigrants from many different countries ha%e arri%ed in Indonesia and brought different cultures as well as cuisines. ost nati%e Indonesians eat rice as the main dish, with a wide range of %egetables and meat as side dishes. !owe%er, in some parts of the country, such as Irian &aya and Ambon, the ma#ority of the people eat sago =a type of tapioca> and sweet potato.:13; The most important aspect of modern Indonesia cuisine is that food must be halal, conforming to Islamic food laws. #araam, the opposite of halal, includes por) and alcoholic drin)s. !owe%er, in some regions where there is significant non- uslim population, non-halal food are also commonly ser%ed. Indonesian dishes are usually spicy, using a wide range of chili peppers and spices. The most popular dishes include nasi goreng =fried rice>, Satay, 8asi *adang =a dish of inang)abau> and soy-based dishes, such as tofu and tempe. A uni-ue characteristic of some Indonesian food is the application of spicy peanut sauce in their dishes, as a dressing for 7ado-gado or 'aredo) =Indonesian style salad>, or for seasoning grilled chic)en satay. Another uni-ue aspect of Indonesian cuisine is using terasi or belacan, a pungentshrimp paste in dishes of sambal oelek =hot pungent chili sauce>. The sprin)ling of fried shallots also gi%es a uni-ue crisp te$ture to some Indonesian dishes. Chinese and Indian cultures ha%e influenced the ser%ing of food and the types of spices used. It is %ery common to find Chinese food in Indonesia such as ,im Sum as well as noodles, and Indian cuisine such as Tandoori chic)en. In addition, +estern culture has significantly contributed to the e$tensi%e range of dishes. !owe%er, the dishes ha%e been transformed to suit Indonesian peopleEs tastes. For e$ample, stea)s are usually ser%ed with rice. *opular fast foods such as 'entuc)y Fried Chic)en are ser%ed with rice instead of bread, and sambal =spicy sauce> instead of )etchup. Some Indonesian foods ha%e been adopted by the ,utch, li)e Indonesian rice table or Eri#sttafelE.

Popular media
Cinema
The largest chain of cinemas in Indonesia is /1Cineple$, which has cinemas spread throughout twentyfour cities on the ma#or islands of Indonesia. any smaller independent cinemas also e$ist. In the 1064s, the film industry in Indonesia was at its pea), and dominated the cinemas in Indonesia with mo%ies that ha%e retained a high reputation, such as &atatan Si Bo and Blok !and actors li)e .n)y Ale$ander, eriam "ellina, 8i)e Ardilla and *aramitha Busady. :12; The film T#oet 8#aE ,hien =1066> winning 0 Citra Awards at the 1066 Indonesian Film Festi%al.:15; It was also the first Indonesian mo%ie chosen for screening at the Cannes Film Festi%al,:15; where it was awarded "est International Film in 1060.:16; !owe%er, the film industry failed to continue its successes in the 1004s, when the number of mo%ies produced decreased significantly, from 113 mo%ies in 1004 to #ust @5 in 100@. :10; As a result, most mo%ies produced in the 1004s contained adult themes. In addition, mo%ies from !ollywood and !ong 'ong started to dominate Indonesian cinema. The industry started to reco%er in the late 1004s, with the rise of independent directors and many new mo%ies produced, such as 7arin 8ugrohoEs &inta dalam Sepotong Roti, Biri Bi?a and ira <esmanaEs Petualangan Sherina and Arisan' by 8ia ,inata.:12; Another form of reco%ery is the re-establishment of the Indonesian Film Festi%al =FFI>, inacti%e for twel%e years, and the creation of the &a)arta International Film Festi%al. ,aun di Atas "antal =1006> recei%ed The "est o%ie award in the 1006 Asia *acific Film Festi%al in Taipei.:/4;

Radio
The state radio networ) Badio Bepubli) Indonesia =BBI> was founded in 10F3. It consists of a networ) of regional stations located in all thirty-three pro%inces of the archipelago. In most cities and large towns there are also many commercial stations. Since /442, se%eraldigital radio stations ha%e been based in &a)arta and Surabaya, using ,igital Audio "roadcasting =,A"> and !ybrid !,-Badio.:/1;://;:/@;

Religion and philosophy

Islam is IndonesiaEs main religion, with almost 66K of Indonesians declared uslim according to the /444 census,:/F; ma)ing Indonesia the most populous uslim-ma#ority nation in the world. The remaining population is 0K Christian =of which roughly two-thirds are*rotestant with the remainder mainly Catholic, and a large minority Charismatic>, /K !indu and 1K "uddhist. The Pancasila, the statement of two principles which encapsulate the ideology of the Indonesian state, affirms that GThe state shall be based on the belief in the one and only 7odG.

Traditions of Indonesia
Traditions of Indonesia are traditions, beliefs, %alues, and customs that belong within theculture of Indonesian people. Indonesia is a %ast country of sprawling archipelago with a di%erse demographic range of o%er @44 ethnic groups,:1; and spea)ing more than 544 li%inglanguages.:/; +ith /4/.0 million uslim s =66./K of the total population as of /440>, :@; Indonesia has the largest uslim population in the world. Indonesia also has significant numbers ofChristians. *rotestant and Catholics population are the ma#ority, with other christian groups e$isting as well. The !indu demographics in Indonesia, see the ma#ority li%ing on the island of "ali. "uddhist Indonesians are located throughout the country, and are ethnically identified as Chinese Indonesians

Eti uette
In Indonesia eti-uette - methods of showing respect =IndonesianJ hormat >, ha%e been considered as one of the )ey factors in social interactions. Eti-uette %aries greatly depending on oneEs status relati%e to the person being interacted with. Some )ey points of Indonesian eti-uette includeJ :F; !ierarchical relationships are respected, emphasised and maintained, Bespect is usually shown to those with status, power, position, and age Elders must be respected A%oid direct confrontation Sa%ing oneEs face means one should consider other dignity and a%oid them to e$perience shame or humiliation.:3; .penly correcting or pointing oneEs mista)e would caused someone to felt ashamed, and humiliating someone is considered e$tremely rude.

Saying terima kasih =than) you> after recei%ing ser%ices or fa%ours demonstrating your good manner

To address salam reply.

uslims by using Islamic greeting assalamu (alaikum, and will recei%e %alaikum

+hen greeting or introducing oneself, smiling, handsha)e =salam> and slightly nod is a good gesture, gently touch your counterpartIs e$tended hands, before finally bringing oneIs hands bac) to the chest to demonstrate that you welcome from the heart. :3; The greeted party will then reciprocate this gesture.

If it is not possible to handsha)e your counterparts, for e$ample addressing larger crowds with a distance between you, ma)ing a greeting gesture by putting your hand together in front of your chess while slightly bowing. It is similar to AL#ali udrM.

Some conser%ati%e Indonesian

uslims might a%oid direct touch with opposite se$ including

handsha)e, so performing non-touching salam =an#ali> is recommended when greeting opposite se$ that are conser%ati%e uslims. Always using right hand, when sha)ing hands, offering a gift, handing or recei%ing something, eating, pointing or generally touching another person. :3; ,o not touch the head of an adult, as it is commonly belie%ed that the soul inhabits the head, and the head is therefore sacred. .ne should a%oid putting their chin upward, putting their hands on their hips or pointing when tal)ing to other people. *ointing toward someone with inde$ fingers are considered rude, pointing with thumbs are considered more polite. Spea)ing softly but clear with somewhat subdued tone is recommended,spea)ing too loud are considered rude. Conser%ati%e and modest dress sense should be adopted N especially by women. :F; +hen %isiting a place of worship, the proper dress eti-uette for such places is of utmost importance. +hen entering a mos-ue, always remo%e your shoes. "athing suit and swimwear are only suitable to wear in and around beaches and swimming pools. +omen swimwear and bi)ini are best co%ered from hips with sarong when coming out from water. To announce your presence, ring a bell or )noc) at the door while saying assalamu (alaikum if the host is uslim, or more commonpermisi.

+ait to be allowed to enter the house, and wait to be allowed to sit in guest room. +ait to be allowed to drin), finishing the whole cup is indicating that the guest wished the drin) to be refilled.

,o not o%er stay your welcome, the host will not e$press any sign of unwelcome since it is considered e$tremely rude. It is up to the guest to estimate the length of their %isit and initiate the farewell.

Food is often ta)en from a shared dish in the middle. In ban-uet seated dinner party, you will be ser%ed the food and it would not be considered rude if you helped yourself after that. +ait to be in%ited to eat before you start.

It is better to sit down while eating, yet in some circumstances eating while standing is acceptable.

,epending on the situation some people may use their hands. Eat or pass food with your right hand only.

a)ing sounds while eating is considered not polite, try not ma)e a sound when slurping or the sound of spoon touching the dish.

Try not to mi$ing and GplayG with your food too much, it is considered as not polite and childish. .ffer gifts with the right hand only, or better yet with both hands. 7ifts are not opened when recei%ed.

Arisan
!enerally the arisan is a social gathering that involves Rotating Savings and Credit Association" It ta#es place at a fi$ed interval% usually once a month% ho&ever 'eing an informal social net&or# this may vary" It ta#es place at each mem'er(s home in turn" Each mem'er should chip in the same amount of money and then the lot is dra&n" The mem'er that &ins% receives payment of the collected money and &ill organi)e place and food% for the ne$t gathering" In the course of the arisan the amount paid to other mem'ers &ill e ual the amount received &hen the arisan is held" Selametan Selametan is a communal feast from &a%a, representing the social unity of those participating in it. It is practised by &a%anese, Sundanese, and adurese ethnic groups. It can be understood as a )ind of than)sgi%ing ritual, but many consdier that by being in%ol%ed, the indi%idual also see)s blessings and protections from 7od. Selamet in &a%anese means safe from any harm, and can also means successful, relie%ed from any troubles or obstacles. The selametan is usually held at life cycle e%ents such as birth, circumcision, engagement, marriage, and death. .r life e%ents such as mo%ing residence, departing for a long trip =such as ha##pilgrimage or wor)ing abroad>, opening a new business =such as opening warung>, career promotion. &a%anese belie%e selametan could be performed as tolak bala, a ritual to deter negati%e elements or unfortunate e%ents that might too) place in the future. Selametan also might be held in accordance with

religious e%ents, such as awlid or Satu Suro. ,uring selametan, cone shaped rice portions called tumpeng are usually ser%ed.

*arvest festival
In Indonesia there are many )inds of festi%e ceremonies and rituals that lin)ed to agricultural acti%ities, from plant the seeds to har%est. .ne of them is Seren Taun, an annual traditional Sundanese rice har%est festi%al and ceremony. This festi%als originally held to mar) the new agriculture year in Sundanese ancient calendar as well as than)s gi%ing for the blessings of the abundance rice har%est, and also to pray for the ne$t successful har%est. .ther ethnics such as &a%anese might held slametan ceremonies for starting agricultural calendar to har%esting. +hile ,aya) people performing !udo- dances during har%est than)sgi%ing festi%al. !udo- is deity that symboli?e pest, and by appeasing !udo- is belie%ed will deter the pest in coming agricultural cycle.