Sekaten ceremony (middle java traditions)

The traditional ceremony that has historical and cultural values which reflect the spirit values of the nation, is an activity that strived continuously held in order to enrich and strugle the national culture and identity character nation state.
Traditional ceremonies Sekaten as traditional religious ceremonies of Islam, kindle the spirit of struggle and has developed a religious values in shaping noble character and moral character of the nation and have a clear flow history, has become one of the official ceremony Palace Cuisine Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat and held each year in order commemorate the birth of Prophet Muhammad SAW.

Traditional religious ceremony in Yogyakarta Sekaten followed by the traditional party of people's glorious. The City Government of Yogyakarta on the permission of Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X up and manage as well as take advantage of one of the media and batik reciprocal communication between the Government and the community about efforts and results of the implementation of national development.

HISTORY Sekaten:

In the year 1477 or 1939 Caka M, Raden Patah as Adipati Bintoro Demak Regency, with the support of the Guardian building Demak Great Mosque as a place of worship and the deliberation of the guardian.

One of the results of deliberation the guardian in order to increase spread Islam, for 7 (seven) days before the commemoration day of birth of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, held Islam Syiar activities on a continual basis. Gamelan 2 (two) gending (musical instrument at java island) played to attract attention of citizien of java island.

The visitors who want to follow or "ngrasuk" 9 java spell) Islam after the Islamic religious activities Syiar must to say the two (2) the confession of faith (syahadatain). Syahadatain word of the sentence means that two Sekaten a confession that is the result of changes in pronunciation, as a mark of the terms Syiar Islam conducted during 7 (seven) days continuously up to the commemoration day of birth of the Prophet Muhammad SAW from 5 up to 12 or Maulud Start Robi'ul each year. Sekaten that later evolved into a traditional folk festival held every year hold, in line with the growth of Kabupaten Demak Bintoro into the kingdom of Islam, even Sekaten

Become the official tradition. Similarly, whend the Islamic Kingdom of Mataram and Mataram Islamic kingdom divided into two, namely Surakarta Kasunanan Hadiningrat and Kasultanan Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, Sekaten as a traditional religious ceremony of Islam are still in the hold along with the traditional party of the people them.

From the development organization Sekaten year by year in Kasultanan Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, in the main consist of:

1. Be pronounced two devices gamelan, Kyai Nogowilogo and Kanjeng Kyai Guntur Madu Kanjeng (name of gending ), for 7 consecutive days except on Thursday evening to Friday Afternoon, in Kagungan Dalem Pagongan Masjid Agung Yogyakarta.

2. Warning birth day of Prophet Muhammad SAW, on 11 Maulud night, in Serambi Kagungan Dalem Agung Mosque, with the reading history of the Prophet Muhammad SAW by Abdi Dalem Sinuwun, their relatives, officials and people Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat.

3. Giving charity Ngarsa Dalem Sampeyan Dalem Ingkang Sinuwun Kanjeng Sultan, in the form hajad Dalem gunungan Garebeg in ceremony as the top event Sekaten memorial day the birth of Prophet Muhammad SAW.

source : http://indonesiantraditional.blogspot.com/2009_03_03_archive.html