TRADITIONAL WEDDING IN MY ETHNIC

By Aulya Ika Pratiwi (E071171510)

Every culture and nation has a special identity. In Indonesia we have many ethnics which
is spreaded from Sabang to Merauke. And now let me describe about traditional wedding in my
ethnic. Bugis-Makassar is one of the biggest ethnics, located in South Sulawesi province. Culture
of traditional wedding in Bugis-Makassar is different with other ethnic, because in my ethnic
before marriage, there are many traditions that should be involved. One of the most famous
tradition is Uang Panai’,where in two family, both brides and grooms family, set the amount of
money that the groom family should give to the bride family as “uang panai” in this time, the
function of the tradition have changed as shape of one’s wealth to show their status in society.

Next, let me explain about the procession before the wedding or wedding ceremonials.
First is ma’manu-manu or a’ jangang-jangang, in this procession, the grooms finds out about the
background and status of the bride. After that, a’ssuro or massuro, in this procession the groom
official propose the bride. And then before wedding ceremonial, mappasili or appasili bunting,
when the bride enters the mappasili, the groom and the bride are blessed and prayed by the
families, its about cleansing ceremony to prepare for entering marriage life. In the evening of the
same day, another pre-wedding ceremony known as mappacci, this ceremony too is also one for
close family. During the mappacci, very close family members and special guests are invited to
give blessings to the bride and place henna or pacci on her hands.
In this procession, the bride is treated to traditional cake makassar such as Bayao Nibalu, Cucuru
'Bayao, Sirikaya, Onde-onde, Bolu peca, and others that have been prepared in Bosara Lompo.
The beautiful ornate gold table settings filled with a number of moist and sweet Makassar
desserts only eaten during wedding celebrations.

After the pre-wedding rituals the day before, the day of the actual wedding ceremony or
Akad Nikah had arrived. Once the groom had completed his part of the ceremony and officially
vowed to take the bride as his wife, he and close family went upstairs to collect the bride. They
returned to the ceremony area together, the bride wearing an baju bodo, and the groom wearing
songko’, jas tutu’ and sarung sutra or tope’.

Bugis-Makassar wedding ceremony was unlike the usual wedding ceremonials. Bugis-
Makassar wedding ceremony is very pretty complex. Groom and bride must pass through several
processions before legality become husband and wife. Thats why it took a lot of time to
preparation to make the wedding perfect. And now the wedding ceremony in bugis-makassar
custom becomes an arena or event to show their social status in society and strive to make their
wedding ceremony as fancy and as perfect as possible.