ABSTRACT

The philosophy of Tedhak Siten Ceremony in Javanese Society

Tedhak Siten traditional ceremonial is a symbol contains notification to the people around
dwellings someone. That the toddler their own, when it is in the process of learning to walk.
Thus, for anyone who met the child in the way, asked to takecare the child or oversees the child.
This aims to safety the children when the children getting alone without any supervision from
children’s parents while parents are busy. In Tedhak Siten ceremony, people has steps to develop
their self. The first step the baby depend on the mother and someone else and they just can
demand. The second step, independent people, they can do anything itself. The beginning of the
second step is baby trat to walk, so want something could take by them selves. When they are
walking they directly touch their foot in the earth. They are no more depending on their parent.
We are life and death in the earth, food, drink, vhicle, in the earth,so we have to appreciate the
earth. The third step has been adult, althought they are independent but they are not egois.
Key word: Tedhak Siten, Javanese culture representation, Tedhak Siten traditional ceremony
from Javanese.

CHAPTER
ONE
Background
Have you ever heard “Tedhak Siten” ceremony? “Tedhak Siten” traditional ceremonial is a
symbol contains notification to the people around dwellings someone.
Because keeping, maintaining and preserving culture or customs is the obligation of each people,
on the other customs or traditions which become a characteristic in every region began a little
fastness with the existence of modern culture. In reality then writer try to draw up a paper with
the titled “Tedhak Siten” and covers about customs our nation especially often used to Javanese
culture. The main purpose of “Tedhak Siten” is to make the reader understand that our nation has
kinds of unique culture.
In that time Javanese society did not know the term a baby sitter. So, for those if they have
children under five, entirely under the supervision of parents. That the toddler their own, when it
is in the process of learning to walk. Thus, for anyone who met the child in the way, asked to
takecare the child or oversees the child. This aims to safety the children when the children
getting alone without any supervision from children’s parents while parents are busy. Culture
have the highly value besides the characteristic of an area that has become a symbol of nation
personality or area. Because culture is a treasure in the nations and we should keep maintain
because culture is the obligation of each individual, in the other hand culture must be protected
and preserved by any nations.
When is Tedhak Siten It is when the baby is 7 selapan=245 days. Selapan is a combination
between the day seven by International calendar and the day five of Javanese calendar. It is
called weton or selapanan means 35 days. Usually the Tedhak siten ritual ceremony is done in
the morning at the front yard and attended by the parents, grandparents, close family plus
neighbours/friends. Like in other traditional ceremonies, the tedhak siten ritual ceremony is also
marked with sajen/offering consiting of: flowers, herbal, vegetables. This offering is arranged
beautifully adding the festive as well as sacral atmosphere.Offering is not superstition, it
 symbolizes request and pray to God the Almighty in order to get blessing and protection from
Gusti, God, to get blessings from the ancestors, to combat evil deed from human and bad spirit.
Usually the ritual is organized in the morning in the front yard of the house. Except the parents
and the family, some elderly people also present to give their blessing to the child. The required
sajen / offering symbolizes a prayer to God to receive His blessing and protection, to receive
blessings from the ancestors, to get protection from evil and to ensure that the ritual ceremony
can be held in a good and safe atmosphere. After the preparations have been done, the family
(the parent, the child, and the relatives) and invitees gather together at the place of the ceremony.
Because “Tedhak Siten” is a culture can developed by Javanese society and passed down from
generation to generation. This ceremony have the unique process can develop and give value of
“Tedhak Siten” traditional ceremonial in Javanese Culture and Influencle from the society.

CHAPTER
TWO
Discussion
“Tedhak Siten” comes from Javanese language devided into two words; “Tedhak” means ‘’step
of foot in the earth” and “Siten” (‘siti’) means ‘’earth’’. “Tedhak Siten” is part of the customs
and the traditions of Javanese society, this ceremony are the first times of the children learn to
walk or the first time to step of foot in the earth and always stand by their parents or their uncles.
This ceremony performed when the old of the baby was seven month and started learn to sit and
walked in land. According to Javanese ancesthor, said that “Our life influenced by four elements:
the earth, the wind, the fire and the water.” Related to the quotation, the anchestor believes that
this tradiitional ceremonial will give children’s healthy, good and prosperous in climb the way of
his life.

2.1 “Tedhak Siten” customs (Mudun Lemah) process:

a. The first step is washing babie’s foot. The bby’s foot will be washed by their parets. It means
that to start the good ntentions or goodwill, the physical and spiritual were clean is needed.
b. The event of “Tedhak Siten” start with climb 7 Jadah colors, Jadah here made of glutinous rice
mixed with dessicated coconut young and salt that it was savory and 7 color here that is black ,
yellow , green , blue , red , white , orange.
c. Meaning of the contain in Jadah this was a symbol of life which will pass by the child, start he
got his feet first time on the earth until he adult, while colour is was an image of in the life of the
children will get much of a choice and obstacles to go. Jadah 7 colors arranged start of a dark to
light.
d. The next steps, where these stairs made from sugar cane “arjuna”, the stairs made from the stems
cane red heart and decorated paper colorful. It is aimed through (undergo) his life, what do a
child expected increasing and able to pass a hitch and hurdles his life soon.
e. Next in forward tread on sand, is aimed in go through life he finished with a hitch or hurdles
whatever confront.
f. After treading on sand, children in these in a cage that has decorated and there are some toys in
stationery like money, mobile phone, stethoscope and others and then children in order take the
what the child like. Where goods chosen the child is a picture of passion and also joy work soon
after adult.
g. Procession it has spread yellow rice has been mixed with coins to take away (in this altering is in
representative his father), this illustrates procession for the child soon become a very generous,
like charity in the neighborhoods.
h. The next procession namely the child is taking a bath with seven flowers (Kembang Setaman).
After that, baby wearing new clothes. With the purpose is for the child staying healthy, bearing
the name of fragrant as for the family, have a decent life, prosperous and profitable for the
Nation.
i. After taking a bath, and also replaced the baby’s clothes. Then followed cut tumpeng in
complete with vegetables urap (dish made of vegetable chickpea, convolvulus and sprouts who
were seasoning coconut that have been steamed, and chicken). Tumpeng is symbolize request
parents to God taht children become useful, vegetable chickpea meaningful symbol age for the
child long time, vegetable convolvulus meaningful anywhere the child life he could growing,
vegetable sprouts is symbolic fertility and chicken equate and the child can live on their own.

2.2 The Values of “Tedhak Siten” traditional ceremonial in Javanese Culture

Every customs has kinds of moral values in their traditional ceremony. This is also in “Tedhak
Siten” ceremony. In “Tedhak Siten” there is also an education value contained in this ceremony.
For the purpose of this ceremony, Javanese anchestor believes that after doing this ceremony will
give the children health, good attitude in their habit, and prosperous in the children life later.So.
That’s why in the process of “Tedhak Siten” is quite complex, because there are seven steps and
every single process has the meaning and the purpose.

2.3 The influences of “Tedhak Siten” ceremonial reason in the society

In Javanese society there are kinds of ritual activities that people believes the ritual is sacred. It
make the society always rever to implement it. Usually, if they do not do this traditional it will
give bad feeling for them like fear, worry, someone mind being unsettled. Because “Tedak
Siten” traditional ceremony was became a hereditary ceremony.
Therefore, “Tedhak Siten” traditional ceremonial should be preserved, because:
a. Basically the traditional ceremony of “Tedhak Siten” has the positive characteristic contained the
highest moral values or always remember of God
b. Implements of “Tedhak Siten” the thing of traditional culture development need to be preserved.
c. “Tedhak Siten” ceremony also can educate the children from early life and educate the society
also to always be viligant when they do something that will happen or was happen in the people
life.

In the life of the community is often happened activities by a society considered thing sacral, that
made the community would always revere to implement. If not doing tradition ceremony Tedhak
Siten have fear, worry, the mind of someone being unsettled, an absence of concern and worry
the community always feel fear for not doing ceremony Tedhak Siten that have become a
tradition hereditary and consider can’t take off free. Because it is ceremony Tedhak Siten needs
to be preserved for:
1. Basically ceremony Tedhak Siten is positive because in which it is contained values high for
always remember in power.
2. The ceremony of Tedhak Siten is a manifestation of the development of culture that tradition
needs to be preserved.
3. The implementation of the tradition ceremony Tedhak Siten can to educate as early as possible
and educate people, to always be vigilant in face and doing.

Chapter Three
Conclusion
Basically we live in the world, landlocked,. In “Tedhak Siten”, can be seen children are not
happy put into the cage and crying for help in their mother. People who are want to go back to
the God. spiritual, wealth, the throne or science is the initial capital to get the freedom from the
world shackles. if the baby adult they can choose to their life to the best or not, can try to be
chose something for his mind in the future. Life is just to be succesfull. Thank you our
anchestors.