SEAToday.com, Surakarta-The people of Surakarta celebrate Chinese New Year with an acculturation event of Chinese and Javanese culture called Grebeg Sudiro. According to the official website of Surakarta city, in Javanese tradition, Grebeg means regular celebration and thanksgiving in commemoration of an important event. In Solo, the Grebeg celebration has been alive for a long time in the tradition of the Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace. In every Grebeg event, one of the hallmarks is the appearance of gunungan or tumpeng, which usually contains local agricultural produce and snacks.

Meanwhile, Sudiro is a name taken from a village called Kampung Sudiroprajan which is located around the Pasar Gede area. Grebeg Sudiro is a celebration that marks the acculturation of Javanese and Chinese ethnicities in Sudiroprajan Village itself. Some sources say, the Grebeg Sudiro tradition was originally to commemorate the anniversary of Pasar Gede Hardjonagoro every 12 January. The Grebeg Sudiro celebration was initiated by ethnic Chinese and ethnic Javanese residents who live in the Kampung Sudiroprajan area.

Because it has the spirit of carrying diversity and diversity, the Solo City Government supports it as an annual celebration. Grebeg Sudiro itself has two main activities, namely Sedekah Bumi and cultural carnival. Sedekah Bumi is a form of gratitude for the traders in Pasar Gede and the surrounding community, while the cultural carnival is interpreted as the harmony of the two ethnicities, Chinese and Javanese. The cultural carnival procession includes Javanese dances as well as Liong and Barongsai performances.

Sudiroprajan Village is a neighborhood in Jebres District, Solo. This village is familiarly called Kampung Pecinan because many ethnic Chinese live there. The villages in Sudiroprajan are said to have existed since the Dutch colonial era and the establishment of the Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace. In the area also stands several old sites such as the Tien Kok Sie Temple, which is claimed to be one of the oldest temples in Indonesia and a cultural heritage that must be protected. Another site in Sudiroprajan Village is the Bok Teko Inscription which can still be found in Balong Village, which is said to be the oldest ethnic Chinese neighbourhood in Indonesia. (ALIF/DKD)