Serving Him in Indonesia

Last week I had the opportunity to go to an engagement ceremony of one of my close friends here.  Her fiance’s family is very traditional Javanese so the ceremony was very traditoinal.  I thought I would share it with you because it’s so different from our American romantic private engagements. 

Here the whole families come together and watch as a pastor or religious leader performs a ceremony of commitment ending with rings being exchanged.   In Indonesia the wedding finger is the ring finger on your right hand so the engagement ring goes on the left hand and at the wedding will be switched to the right hand.  Both the man and the woman get a ring at engagement.  The ceremony is ended with the man’s family giving gifts to the bride which they present to the bride’s family.  A line is made with one side the man’s family and one side the woman’s family and each person from the man’s side gives one member from the woman’s side a gift.  The gifts all go to the bride as “preparation” gifts.  I don’t know all the meanings and specifics of the gifts but it started with food and fruit and went to cosmetics to dress shoes and sandals to a pursue to clothes.  Each gift has a specific meaning and order they are presented in. 

Indonesian ceremonies like this are very formal and straight faced.  When pictures are taken nobody smiles even know they are happy – it’s just culture!  After the ceremony I did catch a few smiles but not many. 

One last interesting note – the parents talk and discuss when their kids will marry!  Some parents may decide they must wait many years – 5, 10 or 15 – but luckily for Lince and Gideon they do not have to wait very long, they will get married next year, as early as April. 

Enjoy the pictures.