Inspired by Moon Cake Festival; Internationalizing Nganggung Bangka

Oleh bloggerbangka September 29, 2015 Posting Komentar

under the Hindsman Tower Arkansas Tech

Yesterday, the International students from China held Moon-cake Festival as a part of Mid_autumn Festival. The celebration took place under the Hindsman Tower of the Arkansas Tech University in Russellville Arkansas. There, the event organizer’s officials provided the guest with a lot of cakes with different kind of flavor as well as some kind of tea. The event actually matched with the supermoon phenomenon recognized with its red color.

Wikipedia said that “The Mid-Autumn Festival is a harvest festival celebrated by ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese people.[1][2] The festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese Han calendar and Vietnamese calendar (within 15 days of the autumnal equinox), on the night of the full moon between early September to early October of the Gregorian calendar.”

I joined the celebration which started from 18 PM to 20 PM. Besides cakes and tea services, many students were crafting the lantern. Small lantern that made from paper and decorated with self painting. Some students were writing Kanji_chinesee letter on the surface of the lantern. For finishing, the students put small electric lamp inside the lantern. I suggest it replaced the fire as it used to be commonly put inside by the people from the ancient time.

Well, I see the celebration might be part of religion, which mainly dedicated for the goddess of the moon as the chinese still believed. The event can be tracked down from the Chinese ancient time. Here is the video to illustrate the tradition started.

However, the event have been improved as the international event for every people with different background. Some international students and the US students were joining the event and were enjoying it also and so I was. I was inspired from that event. It teached me about packaging as part of popular culture. I imagined that 1 Muharram_the first day of Islamic calendar_celebration can be improved as the international agenda for years to come.

There are also some celebration come from cultural tradition in Indonesia that might be potentially upgraded as the international culture. Let’s say it, “ Nganggung” from Bangka Belitung as a cultural and religion tradition can be a popular event that celebrated by the people around the world. Nganggung is a traditional ritual in Bangka Belitung which people are coming to the Mosque bring some foods. It were held by the people from certain villages as part of religion agenda. They are not going to give the food to the goddess instead those foods will be main menu for all the guest and participants on that event. Off course, Nganggung can be modified as the effort of an adaption for international celebration.

Thats why, I am thinking someday that Nganggung would be done by a group of students from Indonesia which studying in the US or European country. There, the students will create some uniques things related with Nganggung. Perhaps, the preaching session will be changed with the traditional dancing, the guest will bring the food made from their each traditional recipe, and so on. This event will eventually create mutual understanding among the people with different background as well as promoting Indonesian as part of world culture.

I am sure we can because Indonesia have been recognized with tons of traditional cultures that spread among many islands. Nganggung is an example of those cultures, there will be others cultures can be improved and marketed through International event though. As the starting point, the easiest way of it come from school and university.

Anyway, here are the pictures of the Moon-cake festivals. Happy enjoy folks!