SUPERSTITION AMONG CHINESE INDONESIAN FAMILIES IN SEMARANG...

SUPERSTITION AMONG CHINESE INDONESIAN

FAMILIES IN SEMARANG

A Thesis

By:

Tan Nia Putri Evanthe

Student Number: 11.80.0042

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT STUDY PROGRAMME

FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS

SOEGIJAPRANATA CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY

SEMARANG

2015



A Thesis Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to

Obtain the Sarjana Sastra Degree in the English Department Study

Programme

By:



ENGLISH DEPARTMENT STUDY PROGRAMME

FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS

SOEGIJAPRANATA CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY

SEMARANG

2015

A THESIS ON



By:



Approved by,

B. Retang Wohangara, SS., M.Hum July 27th, 2015

Major Sponsor

Angelika Riyandari, S.S., M.A., Ph.D July 27th, 2015

Co-Sponsor

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A thesis defended in front of the Board of Examiners

On July 27th, 2015 and declared acceptable

BOARD OF EXAMINERS

Chairperson: B. Retang Wohangara, SS., M.Hum …………

Secretary : Angelika Riyandari, S.S., M.A.,PhD …………

Member : Dra. Ekawati M.Dukut, M.Hum …………

Semarang, July 27th, 2015

Faculty of Language and Arts

Soegijapranata Catholic University

Dean,

Angelika Riyandari, S.S., M.A.,PhD

NPP. 058.1.1996.201

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and the most important, I would like to give thanks to Jesus Christ for his

unaccountable blesses and strengths given to me to finish my study in this lovely faculty.

Second, I would like to present this work to my family especially my parents, and

my siblings Citra, Dea, Kevin, and Sasa for their unconditional supports and love so I can

finish my study well. I hope they will be proud of me.

Next, I would like to thank my major sponsor Mr. B. Retang Wohangara, who had

inspired and guided me in finishing this thesis. My sincere gratitude also goes to Mrs.

Angelika Riyandari, my co-sponsor who was always ready to help me and become my

favorite place to share everything. Also to all my lecturers, Mrs Emilia Ninik, Mr. Anton

Suratno, Mrs. Ekawati M. Dukut, Mrs. Cecilia, Mrs. Wuryani, Mrs Heny, Mr. Adhy, Ms.

Linggayani who teach and give great experience in this faculty. Then, I would like to

express my gratitude to FLA’s staff Bu Retno, Pak Udik, Mas Haryo who were willing to

help me during my study. Thank you to all SCU’s staffs in Mikael’s building; the staffs of

BAK, IO, SSCC, BAA, and especially my Promotion and Recruitment team: Pak Agus,

Mbak Mega, Pak Roby, Mbak Alam and Bu Leny who taught and made me more confident

to face many people. Without them, I will not be able to promote Soegijapranata Catholic

University well. My Student Get Student’s friends, Vina, Aryo, Daniel, Jojo and many

others who always cheered me up and supported me every time. I thank my friend, Darayu

Wilson for helping me in correcting my English.

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I would like to thank all of my friends in the Faculty of Language and Arts

especially Caroline, Wendy, Marcelina, also my friends in Faculty Organizations, and my

lovely basketball teams which I could not mention one by one. Thank you for your

friendship and support which colored my days in the university.

I would like to express my gratitude to Karel who was not always by my side

physically, but always be there for me. Thank you for all the love, support, trust, and

courage given to me during good and bad times.

Last but not least, I would like to thank all the participants in this thesis, Om Tjeng

Tjun, Evan, Belinda, and others for the tradition, and story you share. Thank to whoever

reads this thesis for I hope this thesis will inspire and motivate the readers to know that

there are so many tradition in our country. God bless you always.

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TABLES OF CONTENTS

PAGE OF TITLE

PAGES OF APPROVAL

BOARD OF EXAMINERS ........................................................................................... i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................ ii

TABLES OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................... iv

LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... vi

LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................... vii

ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................... viii

ABSTRAK ................................................................................................................... ix

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 1

1.1 Background of the Study ........................................................................................ 1

1.2 Field of the Study .................................................................................................... 3

1.3 Scope of the Study ................................................................................................... 3

1.4 Problem Formulation .............................................................................................. 3

1.5 Objective of the Study ............................................................................................ 3

1.6 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................ 4

1.7 Definition of Terms ................................................................................................. 4

CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................... 6

2.1 Chinese Ethnic Group in Indonesia and Semarang ............................................. 6

2.2 Folklore ..................................................................................................................... 8

2.3 Folk-Belief or Superstition ..................................................................................... 9

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ....................................................... 14

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3.1 Type of Research ................................................................................................... 14

3.2 Data Collection ...................................................................................................... 14

3.2.1 Participants.................................................................................... 15

3.2.2 Instrument ..................................................................................... 16

3.2.3 Procedures ..................................................................................... 16

3.3 Data Analysis ......................................................................................................... 17

CHAPTER IV DATA ANALYSIS ............................................................................ 18

4.1 The Superstitions of Chinese Indonesian Know and Believe in Semarang ... 18

4.1.1 Superstition of Chinese New Year (Imlek) or Xin Cia ................. 19

4.1.2 Superstition of Ceng Beng ............................................................ 30

4.1.3 Superstition related to Funeral ...................................................... 31

4.1.4 Superstition related to Marriage Process ...................................... 35

4.1.5 Superstitions related to Building House ....................................... 39

4.1.6 Superstitions of Human Body and Daily Life .............................. 47

4.2 Superstitions Category Based on Wayland D Hand’s ‘Cycle of Life’ ........... 50

4.3 Tradition and Reason for (not) Believing Superstitions ................................... 55

4.3.1 Superstition Tradition ................................................................... 55

4.3.2 Reason for (not) believing ............................................................ 57

CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION ................................................ 59

5.1 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 59

5.2 Suggestions ............................................................................................................. 60

BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................... 61

APPENDIX

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 4.1 Kue Keranjang (Taken by Putri, 2015) .............................................................. 21

Figure 4.2 Evan's Sembahyang Table for his ancestor (Taken by Putri, 2015) ................... 22

Figure 4.3 Throwing coins to communicate with Ancestor's spirit (taken by Putri, 2015) . 23

Figure 4.4 Pai-pai Gesture ................................................................................................... 26

Figure 4.5 Red Angpao and White Angpao (taken by Putri, 2015) ..................................... 28

Figure 4.6 Unmarried (left) and Married (right) angpao (Taken by Putri, 2015) ................ 29

Figure 4.7 Human dolls and houses made of paper (taken by Putri, 2014) ......................... 32

Figure 4.8 Food Offering in Karin’s Father Funeral (taken by Karin, 2015) ...................... 34

Figure 4.9 Granted the Request and Give to Older Brother – Wijaya & Michele’s wedding

(taken by Junaidi 2013) ........................................................................................................ 37

Figure 4.10 Five Animals from "Logika Feng Shui" (Dian, 1998) ..................................... 40

Figure 4.11 Tjeng Tjun's (Int.2) House and sketch (Taken and made by Putri, 2015) ........ 40

Figure 4.12 Auri's (Int.3) House and sketch (Taken and Made by Auri, 2015) .................. 41

Figure 4.13 Front Door is Bigger than Back Door (Taken by Putri, 2015) ......................... 42

Figure 4.14 Sketch of Front Door Straight to Back Door (Putri, 2015) .............................. 42

Figure 4.15 Front Door not Face to Mirror .......................................................................... 43

Figure 4.16 Evan's, Joana’s, and Belinda’s bedroom (taken by Putri & Evan, 2015) ......... 44

Figure 4.17 Stairs Arrangements (Putri, 2015) .................................................................... 45

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1 Participants Name and Code Name ........................................................................ 19

Table 4.2 'Cycle of Life' Categories of Wayland D. Hand ..................................................... 50

Table 4.3 Chinese Indonesian family Superstition Categories ............................................... 51

Table 4.4 Diagram of Superstition from Chinese Indonesian Family in Semarang ............... 54

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ABSTRACT

This research focuses on Folklore study about superstition. The purpose of this study

is to find out the existence of superstition in Chinese Indonesian family in Semarang. The

writer uses Wayland D Hand’s Cycle of Life categories to classify superstition, find out

superstition tradition, and the reason for believe in it. Superstition is a traditional expression

that have condition and result, signs and causes (Sims & Stephens, 2005, p. 59). The writer

obtained the data by interviewing ten members of Chinese Indonesian family living in

Semarang and celebrating Chinese events. The result shows that some Chinese Indonesian

family in Semarang still believe in existence of the superstition in events such as Chinese

New Year, Ceng Beng, Funeral, Marriage, house, and they daily life activity. Most Chinese

Indonesian people learn superstitions from older generation. They believe in superstition for

several reasons: it is a tradition from the elders that they follow, it is a tradition they want to

keep, and it is good knowledge and values they have to keep in their daily life. Some people

no longer believe in superstitions because their religious teaching forbid them to believe in

it. Some also consider superstitions not real but surreal.

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ABSTRAK

Penelitian ini fokus pada Folklore terutama superstition. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk

mengetahui superstition yang ada pada keluarga Tionghoa di Semarang. Penulis

mengelompokan superstition berdasarkan kategori ‘Cycle of Life’ milik Wayland D. Hand,

penulis kemudian mencari tahu tradisi superstition, dan alasan responden mempercayai

superstition tersebut. Superstition adalah ekspresi budaya yang memiliki sebab dan akibat,

penanda dan sebabnya (Sims & Stephens, 2005). Penulis mengumpulkan data dengan

mewawancarai sepuluh anggota keluarga Tionghoa yang tinggal di Semarang dan yang

terlibat dalam perayaan budaya Cina. Hasil menunjukan bahwa beberapa keluarga Tionghoa

di Semarang masih mempercayai adanya superstition di beberapa perayaan seperti, Tahun

Baru Cina, Ceng Beng, Pemakaman, Pernikahan, bentuk Rumah, dan dalam kehidupan

mereka sehari-hari. Kebanyakan orang Tionghoa mengetahui superstition dari generasi tua.

Alasan mereka mempercayai superstition yaitu: superstition merupakan sebuah tradisi yang

diikuti dari para tetua, sebuah tradisi yang ingin dilindungi, dan sebuah ilmu dan nilai-nilai

yang harus mereka jalani di kehidupan sehari-hari. Beberapa orang sudah tidak lagi

mempercayai superstition karena agama mereka melarang untuk mempercayai hal itu.

Beberapa responden berpendapat bahwa superstition tidak nyata dan tidak masuk akal.

SUPERSTITION AMONG CHINESE INDONESIAN FAMILIES IN SEMARANG...

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