The Cultural Meaning in Ritual Traditions for the Character of Osing People Banyuwangi, Indonesia

Abstract

This study examined the cultural meaning of the ritual tradition for the character of the Osing people, Banyuwangi. The study focused on describing (a) the personal character in ritual tradition, (b) the social character in ritual traditions, and (c) the character values in ritual traditions. This study was qualitative research with the hermeneutic approach to interpret and explain the meaning of ritual tradition by involving three culturalists and community leaders as data resources. The study found that ritual tradition has cultural meaning for Osing people to build (a) personal character, which includes responsible, consistent, caring, sincere in their work, willing to sacrifice, and always grateful, and (b) social character, that includes togetherness and harmony, maintaining safety, and preserving customs. The character values in ritual tradition include perseverance, togetherness, and harmony of Osing people in everyday life. The ritual traditions contain various ideas and values that are useful for shaping the character of society. The rituals instill awareness of the importance of life harmony and teach cultural values and norms to the community, especially the younger generation. These findings were significant for anyone interested in understanding the Osing culture.