Selamatan: A traditional religious feast. The word Selamatan expresses the notions of thanksgiving, blessing, and grace. At the same time, a Selamatan is not really a religious feast. Although prayers may be said and a passage read or chanted from the Qur’an, this is something that goes back a long time before the arrival of Islam. The Selamatan is partly a way of expressing family and neighbourhood solidarity - very important in Indonesia - and partly a way of seeking or keeping the protection of unseen powers. Through the sharing of ritual food, prayers, and fellowship in a Selamatan, the Javanese frequently perform a ritual that demonstrates their belief that they can and should maintain order and constrain dangerous disorder.
Java, the heart of the Indonesian Republic. An Orientation to the Culture and Traditions of Java.