Friday (18/9/2015)–25 international students of Darmasiswa and Developing Countries Partnership (DCP) in YSU attended culture class regarding Javanese wedding procession held in the house of Vice Rector IV for Cooperation and Partnership, Prof. Suwarsih Madya, in Seyegan, Sleman, Yogyakarta. The procession began with siraman to the bride and the groom. The agenda started from 13.00 to 17.00 Western Indonesia Time.

The wedding ceremony was rich in Javanese culture and tradition where each stage was conducted solemnly and sacredly. The first conduct was sungkeman, where the bride sungkem (gives salute) to her parents for a blessing and pray for the happy marriage. The siraman was done to both the groom and the bride and become the symbol as well as the hope in order the couple can be clean and pure phisically and mentally. Each equipment presented in the sungkeman also symbolises a hope and has a very deep meaning.

For example, the scattered flowers sprinkled into the water that will be used to bathe symbolise that the flowers’ fragrance will seep into the body of the bride and the groom, so their body will be refreshed. Hopefully, the fragrant and refreshed body could reflect their good attitude and reputation in the community. Meanwhile, there is konyoh manca warna; with the five kinds of konyoh rubbed onto the body during the bathe, it is expected the light emerges, shines, and will be pervasive to the body so that the bride looked more beautiful and enchanting.

Besides, there were two green coconuts tied into one, meaning that the bride and the groom will always live in harmony until the end of life.

The students were impressed with the event. "In my country, there is no such event like this. People who are getting married just make a vow and hold a party", one of the Darmasiswa students said. Indeed, they also would not miss every moment in this agenda by capturing them using camera. (Riris)