Javanese Mitoni Ceremony

The Offering: Sajen

Traditional sajen/offering is important in Javanese ritual.

• Together with the solemn, deep pray, the wish should be granted by God.
• Remembering the ancestors, their souls should live in peace in eternity and hopefully got a blessing from them.
• Avoiding evil deeds from spirit and human beings.
• The ritual should be safe and successful.

Mitoni's offering consists of:

1. Old mat and plant leaves used for Siraman.
2. A live cock symbolizing that the family could live well in the society.
3. Seven kinds of rice cones, among other

   Tumpeng Megana, with vegetables surrounding the rice. The sprout means ’growing’ in life;
   Tumpeng Robyong, means safety;
   Tumpeng Gundul;
   Tumpeng Urubing Damar.

4. Seven kinds of sambal:
   Hot spicy side dish, mainly from chilli-peppers. (The life becomes active and creative).
5. Sambal Rujak: Mixed slices of fruits with sambal sauce.
6. Dinglo bengle herbs:
   It's offered to combat evil spirit.
7. Sweet cookies from peanuts:
   The life will be sweet.
8. Vegetable side dishes:
   The children will be healthy.
9. Seven Ketupat with ’abon’ inside:
   Ketupat: rice boiled in rhombus shaped packet of plaited young coconut leaves;
   Abon: slices of fried meat.
   There is already a road prepared for the baby to come out.
10. Traditional cakes:
    Srabi and klepon (from rice and sugar).
11. Eggs of turtle on Tumpeng Megana:
    Turtle is strong and has a good instinct.
12. Red and white porridges:
    Red porridges is to remember and respect mothers, while the white porridge is to remember and respect fathers.
13. Fruit.
14. Different kind of cooked rice:
    Gurih rice: cooked with coconut milk. Punar rice: cooked with Temuric (yellow rice). Kebuli rice.
15. Dolls:
    The parents should welcome the newly born child, whether it is a boy or a girl.
16. The water dipper:
    Used for siraman and is made of a rice coconut which is cut into two symetrically parts and still countains the coconut meat. There is a hole in the bottom.
17. A coconut tree is very useful, all parts of the tree i.e. the fruit, the leaves, the tree/wood are useful. Hopefully, the baby shall be a useful human being.