Symbolic Meaning of Sundanese and Balinese Culture

Abstract

This research will discuss one of the rituals of Sundanese and Balinese culture; specifically, it will examine the symbolic meaning contained in Sundanese and Balinese offerings used as media in the continuity of their organized events. In dissecting this problem, a qualitative method with an ethnographic approach is used to read and analyze societal and cultural phenomena. These stages are literature review, observation, interviews, and documentation. Offerings are an intermediary medium to convey gratitude to God, living beings in this world, and the ancestors they believe to be historical figures. Offerings in Sundanese culture are usually used on certain occasions such as the birth of a child, thanksgiving for pregnancy, wedding rituals, performance rituals, and so on; in contrast to the culture in Bali, these offerings become a daily habit and are used as a means of complementing their worship. The offerings displayed from two cultural perspectives have a character in their respective forms if, in the Sundanese culture, they pay little attention to aesthetics in the form of offerings. Still, in Balinese culture, they make offerings by paying attention to aesthetics in shape because they believe what they give to His Lord must be the best and most beautiful. This research needs to be done so that people can understand each culture they embrace and that culture can continue to be preserved and accepted from various perspectives.

Keywords: Culture, Habits, Society, Rituals.