SOLO. Approaching midnight, the smoke is getting thicker and flying all over a temple at the south of Pasar Gede Solo. Tien Kok Sie temple which is located in Jl. Ketandan Solo, Central Java is one of the locations used for worshipping and praying by Chinese people of Solo to welcome the Chinese New Year 2559.
It is very different from the celebration of the common New Year which is full of noise from trumpets, fireworks, reckless bikers, and lot of parties. Chinese New Year is celebrated solemnly, no cheers in the New Year’s Eve that is on February 7, 2008.
Inside the temple, many Chinese say prayer on the altar in front of some god statues. Hundreds of incenses and candles are lit so that the 7 x 10 m2 room is full of sweet-smelling smoke. As a result, some people who are praying blink and rub their eyes due to the choking smoke.
At 12:00 midnight, two temple’s men toll a drum and a bell at the same time. Beforehand, they do a certain ritual by taking a one-meter incense to the temple’s verandah. They stand in line facing outside, get on their knees, and perform a worshipping movement 9 times. Up to early dawn, Chinese people of Solo who celebrate the New Year keep coming to the temple.
This solemnity reminds us to the Javanese tradition in welcoming the Javanese or Islamic New Year which is celebrated on the first of Suro month. Here, in Solo, the Kasunanan palace, which is the leading sector, invites all people to retrospect in silence and get closer to God and the nature. It can be seen during the tradition of cleaning up and bringing the weapons in a parade throughout the city. All is done in silence.
