Celebrating The Chinese New Year in Lombok

post from Indonesia Vacations on 03 July 2009 12:42:49 PM. © Indonesia Vacations

Celebrating The Chinese New Year in Lombok

Lombok is an island with a variety of cultures and religions. These are mingling together to create a fascinating blend of people that is resulting a series of celebrations and festivals throughout the year.

The indigenous Sasak people are the majority population in Lombok island, They practice a moderate form of Islam. In the practice, they often blend Islam with old animist traditions and beliefs that already existed before the advent of organized religion. Besides Sasak people, there are large communities of Balinese who live on the west coast and in the cities. Balinese predecessors settled in Lombok in the 17th century. They still practice their colorful form of Hinduism until these days. Communities of Arab settlers, Bugis seafarers, Christians from Flores and many Chinese whose families have settled throughout Indonesia over the centuries, all live together in harmony on this idyllic island.

Lombok?s Chinese communities celebrated the Chinese New Year in Lombok on January 26. The Chinese immigrants brought beliefs and practices that are incorporated into Chinese New Year celebration in Indonesia. This tradition is still followed and handed down from their parents.

Chinese New Year in Lombok that is also called the spring Festival or the Lunar New Year is very important in the traditional Chinese holidays. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first New Moon in the Chinese calendar (Jan. 26) and ends on the 15th day (called the Lantern Festival), on Feb. 9

As the Chinese year 2008 was signified as the "Year of the Rat", 2009 (or the year 4707 in the Chinese calendar), begins the "Year of the Earth Ox".

The celebration of Chinese New Year in Lombok was under restrictive Indonesian laws that made it a unique event. There was no Chinese celebration or Chinese national holidays were allowed to be celebrated in public. It is only 2002 that Chinese New Year was officially admitted and declared as a public holiday in Indonesia. That?s why, last year in Lombok, the Chinese New Year in Lombok celebration was a fantastic cultural performance.

Sahara Restaurant & Club and The Lombok Guide were responsible to organize the event. It was originally planned to be a small inaugural celebration that performing a dragon dance through the centre of Senggigi beach. However, it got bigger and merrier. We must give thanks to the amazing skills and performance of a not famous Barongsai or Dragon/Lion dance group based in Lombok.

From the hotel, the Barongsai troupe progressed to Sahara Restaurant & Club in Senggigi Plaza. A large crowd of local Indonesians, tourist and resident Chinese were already waiting there. Accompanied by drumming and traditional music, a wonderful Lion dance was performed in front of 100 people. It has been a part of tradition for the Chinese to feed traditional red envelopes containing money into the mouth of the hungry dragon. It is believed that the Barongsai bring good luck on New Year and red envelopes are traditionally offered to the Barongsai when they visit.

The hotel in Senggigi Beach Lombok was the starting point of the Chinese New Year Celebration. The hotel itself held a special Chinese buffet and New Year party, where the guest were shown an amazing demonstration of traditional and modern Chinese martial arts performed by some top athletes who were all trained in Lombok. The highlight of the evening was the Lion Dance, performed by two agile and highly entertaining "lions", in a skilful display of athleticism and theater.

From Senggigi Plaza, the parade went on to Senggigi Jaya supermarket for blessing and envelopes.. And then it continued along the main street of Senggigi. A crowd of excited spectators followed them to Restaurant Taman Sari. The surprised restaurant guests were spoiled with another amazing performance of barongsai dance. The procession then danced and drummed their way to Square Restaurant in Senggigi Square, where another New Year celebration was taking place. After that, they marched way back down main street and home. It was the first highly successful Chinese New Year celebration in Senggigi that brought a diverse range of people and cultures blending together in harmony.

This year, many of Lombok?s hotels already made preparation for the celebration. They offered special packages to welcome Chinese New Year in Lombok. Don?t forget to check the buffet theme dinners that will serve you delicious Chinese foods. Hopefully, you'll be lucky to be able to feed a friendly dragon or lion when it dances its way into the New Year

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