Good Friday - IndonesianPod101

Good Friday

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Lesson Transcript

Culture Class: Holidays in Indonesia, Lesson 15 - Good Friday

Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class- Holidays in Indonesia Series at IndonesianPod101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Indonesian holidays and observances. I’m Eric, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 15, Good Friday. In Indonesian, it’s called Hari Wafatnya Isa Almasih.

The day of the death of Jesus Christ is one of the most important days of the Christian faith, when they commemorate his death on the cross. Protestants call this day Good Friday. Catholics call it Easter Triduum and it culminates with the Easter celebration, a remembrance of the resurrection of Jesus three days after his death.

In this lesson, we’ll learn about the uniqueness of this memorial in Indonesia.

Now, before we go into more detail, do you know the answer to this question-

When and where did the spread of Christianity begin in Indonesia?

If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. So, keep listening.

This day is commemorated, both by Protestants and Catholics, as Good Friday in other parts of the world. The ritual includes attending church to worship, or in Indonesian beribadah, for three days in a row. The depiction of Jesus's suffering is re-internalized through the Stations of the Cross. On Easter, followers attend dawn services to commemorate the empty tomb in recognition that Jesus had risen.

Larantuka in East Flores has a unique tradition during the Easter Triduum called Semana Santa. It’s the only tradition of its kind in Indonesia, attracting Christians from the islands around Flores down to Australia, as well as tourists. On Good Friday, Larantuka is populated with thousands of people dressed and veiled in black, in Indonesian hitam. These thousands of people parade the statues of Jesus and the Mother Mary from one stop to the next, all the while singing Gregorian chants.

This ritual is over five centuries old, and was initiated one day when local people discovered a female statue washed up upon their shore. On the side of the statue, or in Indonesian patung, there was writing that could not be understood at that time. The statue was called Tuan Ma, and was worshipped by the local people to wish for blessing, or berkat. A century later, a Portuguese missionary arrived there and found that the unrecognized writing read Reinha Rosario Maria. The missionary, or in Indonesian misionaris, also recognized the face of the Tuan Ma statue as the face of Mother Mary, the mother of Jesus. In 1650, the king of Larantuka was baptized and submitted the Larantuka kingdom to Mother Mary.

To Christians, the Resurrection Day of Jesus Christ is a major occasion, even more significant than his death. However, its observance is not included in the Indonesian calendar.

Now it's time to answer our quiz question-

When and where did the spread of Christianity begin in Indonesia?

The Christian religion left its first traces on the island of Sumatra in the seventh century AD. However, its continuous dissemination did not occur until the sixteenth century through Portuguese missionary work in Maluku, and then it spread to Flores and Timor Island. Apart from the religious mission, the Portuguese came to Indonesia to trade spices.