10 Habits of Indonesian People that Surprise Foreigners

VIVA – Indonesia is a country that known to have a lot of diversity and has many unique things in it. Not only natural resources, Indonesia is also known for its diversity. It estimated that Indonesia has more than 300 ethnic groups or to be precise, 1.340 ethnic groups based on the 2010 BPS census.

Indonesia is often in the spotlight of the other world because for has many unique things, especially in the behavior and things that are usually done by Indonesia people. It turns out that many foreigners are surprised by the following attitudes of Indonesians.

1. Ritual of Tiwah 

In Central Kalimantan, there is a special tradition for those who have died long ago. The Tiwah ceremony is usually performed by the Dayak tribe to deliver the bones of the dead to a house called Sandung.

This ritual is designed to attract the soul's journey to Lewu Tatau or heaven. In addition, this unique ritual is also designed to release havoc for family members who have been left behind.

2. Finger Cut Tradition

This tradition that can be said to be extreme has indeed been abandoned by the Dani tribe. Finger cutting is a tradition to express grief over the loss of a family member.

For the Dani tribe, the finger has a deeper meaning, symbolizing harmony, unity and strength in humans or families.

3. Sharp Teeth of the Mentawai Tribe

For the Mentawai tribe, a new woman will be considered beautiful after meeting three criteria. The first is to have long ears. Second, his body is decorated with titi or tattoos. Third, sharp teeth. The tradition of sharpening teeth is believed to increase the beauty of women.

4. Garbage Strewn on the Streets

In cities in Indonesia, littering on the side of the street or in the river is something that is very common to do.