This is mine, what about You?

by Kristy Emilia

Talking about Culture, i want to share my culture.. My dad origin is from Makassar, but his hometown is in Toraja. I have been there to Toraja when i was in junior high school attending the funeral ceremony. I grew up with a little bit of Toraja culture, I used to dance Toraja traditional dance when i was a child when there were a Wedding party because it is consider to bring happiness to the couple. This is I am using the Toraja traditional dress, usually the elders in Toraja still wearing this dress but without the 'Kandore', kandore is the beaded vest as you can see in the picture.

Further, I want to share Toraja culture in their funeral ceremony. Actually the funeral ceremony is more likely a celebration for the deceased. It is a symbolic means that they are appreciating the deceased and for the last time they want to throw a party for the deceased to show people how important the deceased when they lived. In the funeral ceremony the deceased family and relevant will come together and give animals such as buffaloes or pigs to show their gratitude to the deceased.

After the animals being collected, usually in the next day the animals will be slaughtered in the ceremony and then the meat will be given to family and other relatives who come to the funeral. The neighborhood will also get the meat too. The unique thing in Toraja is that the house or so called Tongkonan is located separatedly from other tongkonan, for instance there will be only several Tongkonan in one area usually that area is living by one big family. Then, their neighbor will live further and you can found another Tongkonan which is lived by another family. That is why one tongkonan and other seems far away, and when there were a funeral ceremony another family who live far away will come and celebrate it too. 

The most famous graveyard in Toraja is Ketekesu, when the deceased body will be put in the cliff, in the cliff there are already a square where people can put the deceased body inside it. The higher the cliff means that that person is really important. Actually there are many ways to bury the deceased but Toraja most known for its cliff graveyard. After they put the body in the cliff then they will represent the deceased with a doll that looks like the deceased one. 

Thats all i want to share about my culture, what about you?