Seba Baduy

Seba Baduy is a traditional ceremony usually carried out by the Baduy Tribe. Seba Baduy is usually carried out to convey gratitude for the abundant harvest in one year. This ceremony is routinely held every year in which there is a friendly procession between the Baduy people and the local government. Seba Baduy is carried out in two places, namely the Hall of Lebak Regency and in Serang City as the center of Banten Province.

Baduy people with Banten Provincial Government

Seba is a Baduy word which means offering. In the context of the Seba Baduy ceremony, the Baduy people or Urang Kanekes will present their harvest to the government. Based on history, Seba has been carried out by the Baduy people for a long time. It is said that the Seba Baduy ceremony has been going on for hundreds of years, precisely during the heyday of the Banten Sultanate. Seba Baduy is also a form of Baduy loyalty and obedience to the government. The governments referred to in this case are the Lebak Regency Government and the Banten Provincial Government.

The Seba Baduy ceremony can be interpreted as an official visit from the Baduy community after the harvest season. Seba begins with a 3-month Kawalu ceremony, which is an expression of thanks to God for the success of the harvest. After Kawalu, the Baduy people will continue with the Ngalaksa ceremony. Ngalaksa takes the form of visiting relatives and neighbors, while bringing the harvest. After Ngalaksa is over, the Seba Baduy ceremony will immediately begin. The time for implementing Seba itself has been agreed upon by both traditional elders and the local government at all levels. Next, traditional elders will select Baduy residents who will take part in the Seba Baduy ceremony. Selection was carried out to select residents who were physically healthy, because they would walk up to 80 kilometers.

Baduy people would walk up to 80 kilometers from Ciboleger Villages to Serang City

In general, Seba has a goal of hoping for safety and expressing gratitude. The specific aims of the Seba Baduy ceremony include conveying the message of the Pu'un or traditional leader, giving reports, conveying hopes, and handing over agricultural products.

In practice, the Seba Baduy ceremony is attended by thousands of Outer Baduy and Inner Baduy people. The two groups of Baduy people are distinguished by the color of the clothes they wear. Inner Baduy wear white clothing and headbands. Meanwhile, the Outer Baduy wear black clothes and blue headbands.

The Seba Baduy ceremony begins with the pronunciation of the Tatabean by one of the appointed traditional leaders. Tatabean is a greeting handed over by Baduy residents to the regent and is delivered in Baduy language. This Tatabean contains reports on the condition of Baduy residents, including the condition of their harvest, environment and health. After Tatabean, a dialogue will take place. In this case, the government, both regents and governors, will respond to Tatabean's report. The Seba ceremony ends with the handing over of the Baduy harvest to the Regent. Instead, the government will hand over gifts to representatives of Baduy residents.

The Seba ceremony ends with the handing over of the Baduy harvest to the Regent