Funeral in Java

In Javanese society, die is a natural

event that must be experienced by every

living creature in this world. Meanwhile,

death for the Javanese itself is not a

sorrowful event. Tears in the death are

not favored in the death of the Javanese.

Death in Java will not be released from

the funeral ritual that has become a

liability. Among Javanese, funerals involve

several activities called slametan (slamet in Indonesian means safe, wish, happy, good

luck). Most slametans are held in the evening, just after the sun has gone down and the

evening preyer – for those who perform in – is done. The first slametan is held on the

day a member of a family dies. The next one is held on the third day, continues on the

seventh day, fortieth day, the hundredth day, and the greatest one will be held on the

thousandth day. The Javanese believe that on the thousandth day, the spirit of the dead

person is already at the peace in another world.

Funeral will be reflected in the process of social cooperation among the

members of the community. When the news of the death was broadcasted to the entire

region, everyone should leave what they were doing and went to funeral home. There is

a gender division of labor in this procession. The men prepare the grave and the women

cooked for slametan. All these things reflect that the death in society is a part of

tradition, not the responsibility of individuals, but rather the responsibility of the

society.

Burial in the Java process is not

separated from traditions and religious of

local society. The funeral process is led by

a modim (a type of Ustadz who knows

Islam very well). The corpse must be

bathed because death is a sacred process,

so that the corpse must be purified before

it will be buried.

If we looking at the death event of Javanese that continues to the funeral and the

series of slametan, reflected the relationship between people, groups, individuals and

the subject itself. People who have died have a relationship of love with several people

while still alive. That's why the death is not only the responsibility of a few individuals

but also rather to several groups of society.

By:

Dwi Noventasari

Istiqomah Katin

Mareoza Ayutri

Rizki Adena Putri

Tafia Sabila Khairunnisa

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