BEGALAN CEREMONY

Indonesia has many culture. It is caused Indonesia consist of a lot of tribes. Each tribes has its own culture. One of them is Javanese culture. The area of Javanese one covers Central Java, East Java, and Yogyakarta.
Central Java is devided intosome areas. They are Surakarta, Northem Coastal Region and Banyumas. The area called Banyumas covers Banyumas, Cilacap Purbalingga and Banjarnegara.
Now, we will know one of the unique Banyumas culture. It is called Begalan Ceremony. Banyumas community used to hold this for some event, especially when they have wedding party. First they will do this if the bridge or the bridegroom comes from the uncompleted family or one of the parents of the bridge has died. Secondly of one of the families will have the wedding partyfor the first time. For the family with this condition they must hold Begalan ceremony.
The meaning of begalan is robbery. Begalan ceremony comes from the Banyumas folktale. Along time ago there was a powerful young man called Joko Budug. He called Joko Budug because he had a very bad face. Joko Budug wanted to marry with a princess of Banyumas regent. But the princess refused him. She did not love him. Then she married with the other man. So Joko Budug was very angry to the princess. He told that he wanted to swallow all the bridge or bridegroom in Banyumas included the princess.
Knowing the anger of Joko Budug all the people were very afraid. Because they knew how powerful he was. To avoid Joko Budug revenge one of the officer of the regency tried to do something. He knew that is was impossible to defeat Joko Budug because of his powerful. So he tried to cheat him. He held and interesting drama called begalan before the wedding ceremony carried out. When Joko Budug watched and enjoyed the drama in other place the wedding the drama. He forgot to swallow the bridge. But he gave a message to all families in Banyumas regency to hold Begalan before they hold a wedding party.
After that the Banyumas community did begalan in the wedding party to avoid of the anger of Joko Budug. The begalan was acted by two men. It tells the travel of the ambassador of the bridge to the bridegroom resident. On the way he met a robber. But he does not ask they money or the treasure of the ambassador. He will permit the ambassador pass him if he can answer the question about the principle of a wedding.