Fundamentals, Transitional Events, & Afterlife

Cultural Events | Religion | Gravesites | Ghosts & Supernatural

Cultural Events
Programme participants of Cultural Events will be able to experience first-hand major events that take place in the average Indonesians life. You will see how villagers prepare for such events and celebrate. Depending on the event and social practices you may be able to participate in at least one of several food preparations that lead up to the big events such as weddings (please note, most food preparations carried out by females). Depending on the family that is hosting the event you may be able to follow the families in the days leading up to the actual events. Due to distinct Wedding & Circumsion Ceremony gender roles in certain activities you will be gender matched, if you sign up for this programme more detailed information to follow. Please note, if you sign up for this programme we will tell you available date for you to participate. These ceremonies are not always guaranteed due to the nature and reasoning why they occur. If you are interested in big national celebrations that take place and experiencing the festivities that happen in relation to holidays let us know. Certain holidays are held the same day every year, such as Republic of Indonesias Independence Day, 17 August and New Year 1 January. Other big holidays rotate in the Roman calendar year depending on the calendar the holiday follows, i.e., Idul Fitri and Chinese New Year. There is a general season (if you will) when weddings will take place. Depending on the occurrence of weddings available when you have planned your visit you will be able to compare city weddings to village weddings and small weddings to big weddings. Possible cultural events that you have the opportunity to explore are weddings, circumcisions, Tari Lilin dance, Pencak Silat (a traditional martial art), and holidays.
*You may always add this programme on whilst you are in Indonesia and participating in another programme. We will let you know if ceremonies will take place and if you choose to add on we will let you know the price once we discuss arrangements with the families whose festivities it is.

Religion
Do you like to study religion and find it more exciting to experience religions in person instead of just from the books? Are you someone that travels just to compare religion and religious practices of places from around the world? This is the programme for you. You will have a hands-on opportunity to visit and tour places and areas of worship where permissible. Despite Indonesia being the largest Muslim country in Conversion Ceremony

the world it as well one of the most diversified countries religiously. There are Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Hindis, and animalists that live in harmony side-by-side and sometimes, but rarely in conflict with one another. How does religion affect everyday life in Indonesia? Everything!!! Everything and practically everywhere people go within Indonesia is determined by your religion. Indonesians must declare their religion and once declared every government document you receive with your identification will list your religion. The majority of the Indonesian population does not realize that it is not that way everywhere, especially in the West. As you learn and study or prepare for travel within Indonesia you will find that texts nearly always advise to pick a religion even if you do not have one. It is unfathomable to Indonesians not to be a being and without religion. You will explore why religion is so deeply rooted in Indonesia as a persons, familys, and communitys identity. If you are interested in Indonesias culture, the study of religion to Indonesia is a must! We would like all participants to actively discuss if certain practices are religious, society, or culturally based practices.
Please note the following: Due to dress code in certain areas and places there will some attire (jilabab) provided that all [female] participants of the Religion programme must wear. Before your arrival to Sumatra, Indonesia men and women alike will be told the type of attire they must have in their suitcase for this programme for our tours. Due to religious views, practices, and beliefs when on grounds of a place of worship there will be restricted access areas to all programme participants and ICE employees. Restricted access will only be permissible if an individual is of that religion and of mind and body [according to the religion or place of worship overseers] to enter into the restricted access areas in certain worship places. Religion and purity are taken seriously especially at places of worship.

No one will be judged based on their religion and beliefs. If it is found that an ICE participant is being overtly judgmental, harsh,
or crude to others different you will be told to leave the programme and refunds are not distributed. If at any point of time you do not understand or are uncomfortable please tell ICE employees and we can openly talk as a group or alone if needed if clarification is needed. We at ICE understand that religion is a touchy subject, especially in Western culture. We are here to help you find clarification and understandings. ICE employees are open, candid, and respectful to all individuals no matter their orientation. We promise that we will not try to convert you to our religion and we wish that you will be respectful to ours and not try to convert us. We want this to be an enjoyable experience to all.

The Great Masjid

Primary mosque locals fled to during the 2004 tsunami. Grounds not damaged from tsunami.

Gravesites
In this programme you will have the opportunity to explore and learn about the different type of burial sites and burial traditions found in Sumatra, Indonesia amongst ethnic groups and beliefs. A few of the most common burial sites you will have the opportunity to explore will be Batak, Christian, and Islamic burial sites, ceremonies, and traditions. You will examine and explore the difference in burial between religions, culture, and how religion and culture work side-byside/with one another or may clash one another. You will examine the differences in preparation for burial including how and why a site is chosen for its significance. You will have the opportunity to visit different burial sites around the island from historical burial sites, to village burial sites, and honorary government/military burial sites. You will explore what customs families go through leading up to the burial and in the days to months following the burial of the departed. Some of the topics that may be explored are transport, ways of burial, place of burial, buildings for the departed, food prepared and consumed, textiles worn and presented to the dead and/or the surviving of the deceased, burial visiting customs, and materials presented to the deceased once buried, and holidays or times of the year when the deceased are recognized and burial grounds are visited, and how people remember and honour the deceased. Please note, what is listed is an example of topics to be explored, you may touch base on all of these and more or only a few listed.

Ghost/Supernatural

ICEs programmes are great tools in aiding you in your independent research projects. You will attain first-hand and second-hand knowledge and gain everlasting relationships between the people you interact with. Come and explore the mysteries of a land you have only ever dreamt about.

Key:
( Denotes programmes that require insurance. You must show proof of insurance before participation of programme. Ghost/Supernatural programmes require proof of insurance and signed Release of Liabilities. The Ghost/Supernatural programme will not require proof of insurance if you opt not to have ghost encounters; again, must provide a signed and notarized statement nothing that you wish not to participate in encounters. Your safety is of our concern. If programme participant does wish for ghost encounters you must provide a signed and notarized Release of Liabilities form turned in 2 weeks prior your participation in the Ghost/Supernatural programme. ICE will provide Opt-out of Statements and Release of Liabilities to be filled out by programme participant. However, if for some reason you did not automatically receive an Opt-out of Statement or a Release of Liabilities form please request whichever you need. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have returned in all documents to ICE. Due to the amount of planning that takes place to organize these programmes ICE must have ample time to schedule forest entries and ghost encounters.