Culture Of Malacca

Culture Malacca began more than six centuries in which various ethnic customs and traditions blended perfectly. Peaceful life of the people of Melaka races due to the life that gave birth to the Malay, Chinese, Indian, Baba and Nyonya, Portuguese, Chitty and Eurasia. Each ethnic group gives a different taste of the famous people of Melaka as a friendly people.

Each of these races uphold their tradition and this is reflected in the food, religious customs, festivals, culture, design, application, jewelery and handicrafts.

CultureMalay social organizations in Melaka is divided into two, namely those customary Temenggong the family of the wife by the husband and customs Perpatih, where the husband by the wife's family.

Malay women wear loose clothing and long sleeves called baju and sarong worn with little or tight clothes baju kebaya. Malay Male Malay dress worn with loose pants with a cloth known as well as tied at the waist. For weddings and feasts, songket cloth to be used as well.

The Chinese came to Malacca since the mass migration of Chinese from South province in central China. Communities such as Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, Teochew and Hainanese still follow customs, traditions, food, language and their cultural characteristics.

Indians in Melaka are the Tamils ​​of South India where they inhabit the rubber. However, there are also among those who work in the business of jewelry, fabrics, retailers, merchants and money-lenders.

Baba NyonyaBaba and Nyonya Peranakan Chinese in Malacca is where their ancestors came and married local women. Such intermarriage has produced a unique Chinese culture and Malay traditions.

Baba and Nyonya ethnic introduced unique furniture, porcelain and crockery, style and delicious food that can only be found in Malacca. Nyonya race wore kebaya with "brooches" various forms and jewelry made from silver or gold.

As well as Baba and Nyonya, Melaka has a small community called Chitty of people of Indian origin procreation or children of Indian traders who married Malay women. Village known as Kampung Chitty and is located towards the west Maman Elephant Road, one mile northwest of Chinatown. The entrance to the village is adorned with carved elephants Mutamariman adjacent to the temple. Like Kampung Morten, it is a beautiful area to visit and see the village houses are characterized by Malay villages. The best time to visit is during Mariamman Festival or Festival Mayor Char-char in May. It is a Hindu festival where you may have the opportunity to witness the Indian wedding ceremony.

Malacca is the only state that has a Portuguese settlement founded in 1930. The inhabitants of this place named Sua Chang Padre (Father Land) in conjunction with its founder. People living here are Eurasian of Portuguese descent living as fishermen. The Portuguese Catholic religious practice and speak Cristang or Cristao.

Ethnic Portuguese in Malacca provides traditional life, language, customs and music that appears unique. The most popular dance is Beranyo and Frapeirra. Christians also celebrate festivals with great including Christmas Day and Easter Festival San Pedra.

Clothing Of Baba And Nyonya

The Peranakan retained most of their ethnic and religious origins (such as ancestor worship), but assimilated the language and culture of the Malays. The Nyonya's clothing was identical to that of the native Malay's baju panjang (long dress), batik sarung (batik wrap-around skirt) and kerongsang (brooch). Beaded slippers called Kasut Manek were a hand-made made with much skill and patience; strung, beaded and sewn onto canvas with tiny faceted glass beads from Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic). In modern times, glass beads from Japan are preferred. Traditional kasut manek design often have European floral subjects, with colors influenced by Peranakan porcelain and batik sarongs. They were made onto flats or bedroom slippers. But from the 1930s, modern shapes became popular and heels were added.

Marriage of Baba and Nyonya

Melaka is know for her Baba Nyonya (Peranakan) culture - referring to the culture of the Baba community, who ancestors are a mix of mainly Malay and Chinese parentage.
It was not uncommon for early Chinese traders to take Malay women of Peninsular Malay or Sumatera as wives or concubines. Consequently the Baba Nyonya possessed a synergistic mix of Sino-Malay cultural traits.
Written records from the 19th and early 20th centuries show that Peranakan men usually took brides from within the local Peranakan community. Peranakan families occasionally imported brides from China and sent their daughters to China to find husbands.
Marriages within the community and of similar stature were the norm. Wealthy men prefigured to marry a chin choay or matrilocal marriage where husband moved in with wife's family.
Proposals of marriage were made by a gift of a pinangan, a 2-tiered lacquered basket, to the intended bride's parents brought by a go-between who speaks on behalf of the suitor. Most Peranakans are not Muslim, and have retained the traditions of ancestor worship of the Chinese, though some converted to Christianity.
The wedding ceremony of the Peranakan is largely based on Chinese tradition, and is one of the most colorful wedding ceremonies in Malaysia and Singapore. At weddings, the Dondang Sayang, a form of extempore rhyming song in Malay sung and danced by guests at the wedding party, was a highlight. Someone would begin a romantic theme which was carried on by others, each taking the floor in turn, dancing in slow gyrations as they sang. It required quick wit and repartee and often gave rise to laughter and applause when a particularly clever phrase was sung. The melodic accents of the Baba-Nonya and their particular turns of phrase lend to the charm of this performance.