Sekura Party: To Have and Told, The Culture We Should Hold

  
"How that unique culture that we have now is actually something that also God's present for us. It is not us who ask, but to hold." -@anggidameriap
  

There are routine activities which are always done every year by Indonesian Muslim to welcome Eid Mubarak or in Indonesian term we call it Lebaran Day. No matter how far their hometown is, they will do mudik, return to hometown during holiday, for celebrating the feast with the family and friends. Not only for Muslim but everyone also enjoys the holiday. After Eid prayer, people will visit their relatives and neighbors for silaturahmi. 
 

Ready to join the party

 

Can you recognize them?

 
The next day, they will spend the rest of holiday by visiting tourism places, such as beach, lake, park, museum and so on. But you will find something different in my hometown, Liwa. There is Sekura Party  held in turns from a village to another village all the week.

 

Watching the party from the second floor house.

 

It's okay if you even don't wear clothes, at least cover both your face and voice.

  
Sekura Party is an original celebration party which only can be found in West Lampung regency, Indonesia and takes place in some big villages during Lebaran day, such as Liwa, Batu Brak, Canggu, Gunung Sugih, Kenali, Kotabesi, Bahway, etc.
 

Sometimes they sell petai or the other vegetables.

 
Sekura party looks like an outdoor theater where everybody wears mask and covers their body in such a way to celebrates the party. They can dance, sing, play hadra, mingle around the village, acquaint with new people, etc.

 

When they realize your camera shooting them.

  
There are 2 sorts of Sekura, namely Sekura Betik and Sekura Kamak. They both can be distinguished from their appearances. Sekura betik, or clean sekura covers their body in such a way by some traditional long clothes called selindang miwang. They wear dark glasses and bring a sharp weapon, such as machetes or sword. They look acting like a knight and mostly wore by children.

 

Ola Guntoro, my friend's three-year-old daughter, plays as sekura betik.

 
While sekura kamak or dirty sekura wears a mask made of wood or plant, shabby clothes, plays music, sings and sometimes act like a woman or an old man. The only things they do are to make party more fun and climb the gift tree at the end of the event. All sekura also fakes their voice, so no body knows who they are until you try to know them.

 

Sekura kamak bring plants in order to complete their appearance

   

Sekura kamak act as old guys.

  
Sekura literally means someone who wears a mask. It was born as a part of history how Islam came to Lampung long time ago. There was an animism kingdom called Sekala Brak kingdom that fought with its people that already converted into Islam, led by a preacher Penggalang Paksi and his sons, Maulana Perong, Maulana Lapah di Way, Maulana Belunguh and Maulana Nyerupa. In that civil war, people covered their body, so the rival would not know them that actually their own relatives.
 

 
By the war, sekura still exists until now yet different purpose. Not to commemorate the civil war but to celebrate Ied Mubarak after fasting a whole month in Ramadhan.

 

Modernized sekura that only cover their face by masker.

 

Do I know them? Big no.

 
In the afternoon, the party will end when the present tree is climbed by sekura kamak. In this party, you not only watch the celebration, but you also can participate to become sekura, too.

 

Ola's father's instagram account

SEKURA KAMAK CAKAK BUAH . . dipenghujung pesta budaya, sekura kamak diperkenankan untuk "cakak buah" secara bergotong royong dan berbagi hasil setelahnya . . #pestabudayasekura #sekurabetik #sekura #tradisi #lampungbarat #lampung #pekoncanggu #kepaksianpernong #pariwisatalampungbarat #pariwisata_lampungbarat

A post shared by Pemotret Gadungan (@endangguntorocanggu_) on Jul 1, 2017 at 7:08am PDT

West Lampung broke a new MURI record as "Thousands of Sekura" on its 25th anniversary event (2016)

Ayo ikutan lomba foto @nikonindonesia dan @grandhyattjakarta Yuk @akunrino @pardosihotang @e.shotz @ariwahyusuyono @tamaa_11 "arakan 5454 Sekura ". Lampung barat Lampung #nikon_grandhyatt2017grandchallenge

A post shared by INSTANUSANTARA PEOPLE (@ekafendiaspara_alliwa) on Apr 15, 2017 at 8:30am PDT

Feel curious about Sekura, check this out:
Sekura Party, Halloween ala Lampung Barat