[CULTURE] Crocodile Bread is a Symbol of Wedding Ceremony In Betawi Custom

Indonesia has a lot of cultures. It is spread out from Sabang to Merauke. Every place has different culture that make one place is different with another place. For example is the culture of Betawi. Biologically, they are claiming to be Betawi people are descendants of mixed blood from the various ethnic and nations that were brought by the Dutch to Batavia. Betawi words used to express the native tribes who inhabit the Jakarta and Creole Malay language that they use, as well as Malay culture. Betawi word comes from the word "Batavia," the old name of Jakarta during the Hindia Belanda. 

Betawi culture is a mestizo culture, or a mixture of diverse ethnic cultures. Since the days of the Hindia Belanda, Batavia (Jakarta) is the capital of the Hindia Belanda which attract migrants from other countries. Other than that, Betawi culture also absorbs a lot of foreign cultures, such as Arab culture, Chinese, Indian, and Portuguese.  

Wedding ceremony is also one of the part of culture. Betawi custom has a unique and interesting wedding ceremony. The unique and interesting part from a wedding ceremony in Betawi custom is about crocodile bread. Crocodile bread is a symbol of wedding ceremony in Betawi custom. Every wedding ceremony that conducted in Betawi custom never leaves crocodile bread. Usually the bread is about 50 centimeters in length was brought by the groom at the ceremony-junk for the bride. Other than the crocodile bread, the groom also gives dowry money, jewelry, fabric, kebaya dress, slippers, toiletries, and some household equipments. From a number of things that the groom gives, the most important which the groom must to gives is crocodile bread. Moreover, the crocodile bread is practically obligatory. Therefore, this bread has meaningful sight for the citizens of Batavia, it has an expression of faithfulness for the married couple. 

Besides, Betawi people have been hereditary using crocodile bread as a symbol of  every Betawi custom wedding ceremony. Why it shapes should be a crocodile? This perception needs to be explained. Crocodile is an animal that have long age and most faithful to their partners. The crocodile was only married once in a lifetime, so that Betawi people make it as 'a symbol of faithful' in the household. Besides that, crocodiles is include in the mighty animals and live in two worlds, it also can be used as a symbol of an expectation for the household to be tough and can survive in everywhere. Crocodile Bread was made a pair, the female is marked with a small crocodile who put on his back or on the side. Its meaning is the faithfulness of marriage until inherit. This should be kept along the way until it gives to the bride. In addition, the bread has a symbol of reliability, because there are some opinions that the bread is the food for the upper class. At the time of the ceremony is completed, crocodile bread usually has been given to an unmarried siblings, it also has the expectations that they are not married will able to catch their mate soon. 

That is what makes bread crocodile used as a symbol of the wedding ceremony in Betawi custom. Hence, we should be able to preserve and keep our cultures that we have, so that our culture can be preserved and recognized by other nations, the values ​​that need to be embedded by the younger generation. 

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