- PETANAN
Petanan or in Indonesian to look for fleas is one of the Javanese habits that is starting to be abandoned. In ancient times, farming was often done in spare time or while resting. Farming is more often done by women, while chatting or telling stories. Farming is actually not just an activity to find lice, but also a social interaction between parents and children, or someone with their neighbors. Farmers really maintain intimacy between individuals with each other, because of the interactions that have been carried out.
“The progress of the times has gradually eroded the customs or habits of the Javanese like farmers. The Javanese in ancient times kept their heads clean by doing activities such as petanan. However, today’s Javanese prefer to go to a salon or spa to keep their hair clean. The reason people nowadays prefer to go to salons and spas is because of the time and feeling they have enough money.”
In addition, people today tend to choose instant things, because of the demands of work and lifestyle due to the influence of outside cultures. Whereas things like that will reduce social interactions that occur with neighbors or close relatives. Social changes like this will make the sense of caring between fellow Javanese diminish. While the thing that looks the most different is the disappearance of a tradition that has existed since ancient times, one of which is looking for lice or farmers.
One way to maintain the traditions or habits of the Javanese that have existed for a long time is to do farming activities. Even though it seems embarrassing in this day and age, but the farm can be a place to gather with friends, neighbors or relatives. In order to maintain communication and social interaction so that it continues to run well.
If the Javanese in this day and age begin to lower their ego and shame, surely activities such as petanan will still persist. Because no matter how busy Javanese people are today, they must have free time. In their spare time they can gather to look for each other for fleas or farmers, although not everyone has fleas in modern times like today.
- PULUK
Puluk is a Javanese way of eating by using hands directly. The position of the hand is usually close the five fingers, then use them to take food. Javanese people who like to live simply, really like to do simple things, one of which is eating directly with their hands. Javanese people in ancient times really liked to eat using their hands or puluk, the reason being that in ancient times there were very few eating utensils. However, nowadays, it is rare to eat manganese in puluk or in Indonesian. Although there are, usually only on certain occasions or at lesehan restaurants.
“Javanese, like other tribes, do not have cutlery. Therefore, Javanese people use their hands when eating. In this day and age, plates are made of ceramics and spoons can be found everywhere, that’s why Javanese people now eat with a spoon. However, the habit of eating with hands still cannot be lost, especially during traditional processions.”
Javanese people nowadays prefer to eat using a spoon. The first reason is because nowadays, there are already a variety of cutlery sold in stores. In addition, due to the influence of outside culture, people think that eating using a spoon is considered more polite than using their hands directly. Therefore, many people choose to eat using a spoon.
Eating by hand or in the puluk is actually very interesting, because it feels more delicious than using a spoon. Eating in puluk makes our hands feel directly the texture of the food we are about to eat. In addition, eating with hands also trains us to be patient. Because, we have to be good at choosing and arranging rice and side dishes that fit our fingers. Because if not, the rice will fall scattered before entering the mouth.
Things like that not only make the existing Javanese traditions or customs begin to be abandoned, but also threaten to disappear. As Javanese, today’s people shouldn’t be ashamed to eat with their hands or in the puluk, there’s no need to be ashamed of being considered tacky or impolite. Instead, you should feel proud, for keeping the existing traditions.
- PINCUK
Pincuk is a food container used by the Javanese. Pincuk is usually made of banana leaves, both ends are joined using a stick, then the bottom is pointed like a cone, see the pincuk picture above. Pincuk is usually used as a substitute for plates in ancient times.
In addition, pincuk is also often used as a place to distribute bancakan and a place to eat while working in the fields. The farmers chose Pincuk as a place to eat, because of how easy it is to make, and lots of banana leaves that can be found in the rice fields. Then, so as not to bother bringing plates from home. Because in ancient times the Javanese plates were still made of clay that was easily broken. In addition, even though they already use a plate, usually the Javanese will also place a banana leaf base on the plate, so to make things easier, farmers prefer to just use banana leaf pincuk.
Pecel Rice Using Pincuk.
“Javanese people have habits that may be strange compared to other tribes. When we eat we should not make a sound because it is considered like an animal, especially a cow which when they eat they always make a sound. In ancient times Javanese people ate with plates made of clay so that before placing the food they would be given a banana leaf because otherwise the food would be dirty.”
Javanese people really like to eat on banana leaves or pincuk, because it feels more delicious. However, at this time, pincuk is rarely used. The reason is because there are already various types of plates sold in shops. Another reason is that people are starting to rarely plant banana trees around their homes. Due to limited land in times like today.
Today, we can still find pincuk in places selling traditional Javanese food, such as; klepon, sego liwet, pecel, warehouse, side dishes, jenang and so on. Traditional foods that still use pincuk are usually sold in markets or roadside. To maintain the existence of pinjuk or a place to eat made of banana leaves, we must be proud and not ashamed to eat with pincuk occasionally. As well as telling the sellers to use pincuk instead of plastic, because plastic contains chemicals while the leaves are natural, so they are not harmful to the health of the body. One of the secrets of the Javanese people who have a long life, perhaps from the food and fork that they use is still very natural, compared to people today who choose something that is instant and is very dangerous for their health.
- NUNTUN KENDARAAN NANG LATARE WONG LIYO
Guidance for vehicles with background wong liyo here is a prohibition on riding a bicycle or motorcycle or other vehicle in someone’s yard.
“Javanese people can be said as humans who have a unique personality type. It is said to be unique because their behavior is deliberately carried out in repetitive combinations that are rarely found in other human personalities. For example, Javanese people forbid someone to ride an onthel bicycle, motorbike or other vehicle in someone’s yard. This is prohibited because according to Javanese people it is considered impolite or excessive. Therefore, when you reach someone’s yard, the bicycle must be led, not to be ridden. And you can ride it again when you are out of someone’s yard area.”
However, in this day and age, many people have forgotten such trivial manners. Most of them think it’s not too bothersome to just ride a bicycle in someone’s yard. Such traits cause Javanese manners to decline or even disappear.
- AKSARA JAWA
“Javanese script is an Abugida writing system that is written from left to right. Each character in it represents a syllable with a vowel /a/ or /ɔ/, which can be determined from the position of the character in the word. The writing of Javanese script is done without spaces, and therefore the reader must understand the reading text to be able to distinguish each word. In addition, compared to the Latin alphabet, the Javanese script also lacks basic punctuation marks, such as colons, quotation marks, question marks, exclamation marks, and hyphens. Javanese script is divided into several types based on their function. The basic script consists of 20 syllables used to write modern Javanese, while other types include sound characters, punctuation marks, and Javanese numerals. Each syllable in Javanese script has two forms, called nglegena (naked script), and pairs (this is the subscript form used to write consonant clusters).”
“Javanese script is called Dentawyanjana or Carakan, totaling 20 pieces, starting with the script ha and ending with the script nga. In addition to Carakan, there is a murda script whose function is to honor, swara and colleagues, both of which are mainly used to write loan words that you want to highlight.”
With the development of technology, now Javanese letters can be written through computer programs. Only by typing the keys on the keyboard, can appear writing with Javanese characters on the computer. So, people don’t have to bother writing Javanese scripts which are quite complicated. However, things like that actually make Javanese people like today even more stupid. Stupid here means, Javanese people who are increasingly difficult to learn to write Java manually. Because of the ease and sophistication of technology that makes people today increasingly lazy, lazy to study and try and work hard. Javanese people today are very different from ancient Javanese people, who tend to like to work hard and are very tenacious.
Today only a few people can write Javanese script. Let alone writing, reading Javanese script is difficult or even impossible, let alone writing it down. Therefore, learning to write Javanese script should be taught to children from an early age, there is no need to wait to study in elementary school. Because the article, a child’s memory lasts longer, than an adult’s memory. So if you teach writing Javanese script since childhood, chances are the child will still memorize it until he is old. That way, Javanese script written manually will never be destroyed from time to time.