Begalan….who (don’t) want extra kitchen wares?

After spend half afternoon lost in Senayan City, and half evening locked me inside my sister-in-law room tried to fit 3 different Kebayas & Sarongs with the dressmaker, I can’t sleep. Not because I’m too tired or too excited with that day passed quickly, it’s more about worried and to scared that I can’t wake up early enough on the following day. On Friday, 21st of December, one of the pre-wedding ceremonies has begun.

My Friday started at 4.30am. Woke up early so I can do my hair and make-up on first round. The hairdresser and the make-up stylish arrived on 5am. I never ever woke up this early in Sydney. The best thing about time-zone difference between Jakarta & Sydney has come. 4.30am Jakarta time means 8.30am in Sydney. My body gave no complain at all, which was great.

First ceremony is Siraman. The groom –my brother in law- ready in his beskap –kind of Javanese tuxedo- and jarit batik –as sarong- , looked fresh and bit nervous. Before Siraman, he did sungkem –request for blessing- to mum & dad. It was very quiet ceremony, and when he asked mum&dad to give him shower for the last time before marry, nobody can hold their tears. It continues with mum&dad and another 11 elderly lady –which whom our relatives or someone that close to our family- shower him with water from 7 different sources. From quiet to laugh and joy, seeing the groom got wet in his jarit batik.

(pic of decoration for Siraman Ceremony)

Once Siraman finished, we stepped into following ceremony, it’s called Dodol Dawet. -Dawet is kind of sweet, sticky glutinous rice form like bean sprout on soupy sweet palm sugar syrup- On dodol dawet, my mother in law became dawet seller and the guests will be given coin from clay as money to buy it. But before Dodol Dawet, there was one little fun ceremony called Begalan.

Begalan –means robbing in Javanese- meant to share the joy of the host for having a wedding party, and it formed in kind of bamboo crutches –angkring in Javanese- full of kitchenware hanging all over it. There were two angering, my husband and his older sister husband will carry it through the entire guest so they can grab one for keepsake.

(my best shoot on Begalan - had to kicked someone to get this pic! )

It was really fun to see the guests –most of them are women dressed in kebaya and sarong- flocked on the angkring try to grab as many kitchen wares as possible. My husband can barely walk through the room, and yet many guests shouting at him to kept walking because they want their share of the kitchen wares too.

But neither my husband nor his brother in law can please everybody. Half way to main guest seating, all the kitchen wares were gone. Left them with sore shoulders after been pulled back and front. For all those shoulder pain, it’s really worth. It’s entertaining.