Heritage practices in the preservation of the Rondang Bintang Festival in Simalungun
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32734/ijcas.v10i2.17157Keywords:
Rondang Bintang, Tradition, Festival, Simalungun, Cultural PreservationAbstract
The Rondang Bintang Festival is a prominent annual celebration in Simalungun, with historical roots dating back to 500 AD. It originated as an agrarian tradition, conceived by the community to express gratitude for harvests and to serve as a venue for young people to meet potential partners. Over time, the cultural practices associated with this festival have evolved significantly. This article explores the cultural heritage practices and preservation efforts surrounding the Rondang Bintang Festival, highlighting its complex transition from a traditional custom into a formally managed government cultural event. Employing a qualitative methodology with an ethnographic approach, the study gathers primary and secondary data through the analysis of historical documents, direct participant observation, and in-depth interviews with cultural preservationists. The findings reveal a structural shift in cultural governance, culminating in the official takeover of the festival by the Simalungun Regency Government in 1981. The festival has since adapted its traditional rituals into structured, inter-district cultural competitions. The government’s strategic initiative to position the festival at Lake Toba reflects a contemporary approach to preserving Simalungun identity through local tourism. The implications of this research lie in its comprehensive ethnographic examination of how bureaucratic intervention can coexist sustainably with cultural resilience, ensuring the continuity of authentic heritage practices. This process ensures that the traditional festival remains relevant, economically beneficial, and culturally meaningful for future generations.
Downloads
References
Abi-Hashem, N. (2020). Resiliency and Culture: An Interdisciplinary Approach. RUDN Journal Of Psychology And Pedagogics, 17(4), 586-603. https://doi.org/10.22363/2313-1683-2020-17-4-586-603
Al Hazmi, F. (2023). Tradisi dan Masyarakat: Peran Ritus Haul Cuci Pusaka di Kota Tangerang Selatan. Jurnal Masyarakat dan Budaya, 25(2). https://doi.org/10.55981/jmb.2023.2006
Aryandari, C., Al Hazmi, F., & Oktaviela, J. (2026). From Cultural Tradition to Arts Industry: Development of The Ondel-Ondel as the Identity of the Betawi Community. Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research & Education, 26(1), 95. https://doi.org/10.15294/harmonia.v26i1.20868
Aryandari, C., Siahaya, K. M., & Al Hazmi, F. (2023). Ulahahan Babatu Orchestra: Concept and Functional Role of Inclusive Music Community. Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education, 23(1), 40-52. https://doi.org/10.15294/harmonia.v23i1.42411
Barker, C., & Jane, E. A. (2016). Cultural studies: Theory and practice. Sagepub
Carlson, M. (2018). Performance: A Critical Introduction (3rd Edition). Routledge
Castells, M. (2016). A sociology of power: My intellectual journey. Annual Review of Sociology, 42(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-081715-074158
Chen, G.-M. (2009). On Identtiy: A Alternative View. China Media Research, 5(4)
Chen, V. H.-H. (2014). Cultura, Identity. Key Concept in Intercultural Dialogue, 22.
Cleveland, H. (1995). The limits to cultural diversity. Futurist, 29(2).
Creswell, J. W. (2015). Educational Research. Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. Pearson Education, Inc.
Damanik, Jahutar. (1974). Jalannya hukum adat Simalungun. Pematang Siantar : Aslan
Eko, B. S., & Putranto, H. (2019). The Role of Intercultural Competence and Local Wisdom in Building Intercultural and Inter-religious Tolerance. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 48(4). https://doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2019.1639535
Gerosa, A. (2022). The hidden roots of the creative economy: a critical history of the concept along the twentieth century. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 28(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2021.1933460
Getz, D., & Page, S. J. (2016). Progress and prospects for event tourism research. Tourism management, 52, 593-631. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2015.03.007
Lee, S., & Goldblatt, J. (2020). Special events: The brave new world for bolder and better live events. John Wiley & Sons.
Gray, C. (2010). Analysing cultural policy: Incorrigibly plural or ontologically incompatible?. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/10286630902935160
Hutauruk, A. F., & Ginting, A. M. (2019). Pemerintahan Nagori Rabuhit 1968-2017. Criksetra: Jurnal Pendidikan Sejarah, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.36706/jc.v8i2.9246
Irwansyah, I. (2020). Tor-Tor Bodat Na Haudanan Sebagai Seni Pertunjukan Pada Pesta Rondang Bintang di Kecamatan Raya Kabupaten Simalungun. Bahas, 31(1). https://doi.org/10.24114/bhs.v31i1.18589
John, H. (2013). The creative economy : how people make money from ideas / John Howkins. In Stanford Social Innovation Review (Vol. 7, Issue 2).
Koentjaraningrat, K. (2015). Pengantar ilmu antropologi. edisi revisi PT. Rineka Cipta: Jakarta.
Laing, J. (2018). Festival and event tourism research: Current and future perspectives. Tourism Management Perspectives, 25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2017.11.024
Nusraningrum, D., & Pratama, A. (2019). Tourism development through the creative economy. International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology, 8(6 Special Issue 3). https://doi.org/10.35940/ijeat.F1049.0986S319
Pratt, A. C. (2019). Cultural Economy. In International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, Second Edition. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102295-5.10169-6
Puthumana, G. N., & Puthumana, G. (2021). Cultural identity and aesthetics in Indian folk dance Thidambu Nritham: A performance outlook. International Journal of Cultural and Art Studies, 5(1), 38-44. https://doi.org/10.32734/ijcas.v5i1.4577
Rahmaniah, A. (2012). Budaya dan Identitas. Dwi Pustaka Jaya.
Reeves, S., Kuper, A., & Hodges, B. D. (2008). Qualitative research: Qualitative research methodologies: Ethnography. BMJ, 337(7668). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.a1020
Reid, A. (2014). The blood of the people: Revolution and the end of traditional rule in northern Sumatra. Nus Press.
Santiana, A. C., Riyanto, E. D., & Afdholy, N. (2024). The Combination of Culture and Art in Muludan Mask Dance as a Strategy for Preserving Tradition: Muludan Mask tradition as a component of Surabaya's place identity. International Journal of Cultural and Art Studies, 8(1), 47-54. https://doi.org/10.32734/ijcas.v8i1.15216
Saragi, A. A. (2022). A Seasonal Tourism During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Parapat, Lake Toba. Jurnal Koridor, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.32734/koridor.v13i1.8346
Sesen, Elif. (2015). Role Theory and Its Usefulness In Public Relations. European Journal of Business and Social Sciences, Vol. 4, No. 01, P.P. 136 – 143.
Setyaningrum, R., Andi R.W. & Subagyo. (2022). The Characteristics of Society in Indonesian Based on the Hofstede Cultural Dimensions: Measuring the Five Indonesian Island. International Journal of Culture and Art Studies (IJCAS) Vol. 06, No. 1. https://doi.org/10.32734/ijcas.v6i1.8720
Shin, C. I., & Jackson, R. L. (2003). A Review Of Identity Research in Communication Theory. In Ferment in The Intercultural Field (Internasional and Intercultural Communication Annual) (Vol. 26). Sage.
Siregar, Z. (2020). Sejarah Terbentuknya Lembaga Adat Partuha Maujana Simalungun. Sejarah Dan Budaya : Jurnal Sejarah, Budaya, Dan Pengajarannya, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.17977/um020v14i12020p42-52
Spradley, J. P. (2016). The ethnographic interview. Waveland Press.
Sumarto, B. (2019). Pemahaman dan Penerapannya Aspek Sistem Religi, Bahasa, Pengetahuan, Sosial, Keseninan dan Teknologi. Jurnal Literasiologi, 1(2).
Teevan, D. (2021). The Routledge Handbook of Festivals. The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society, 51(3). https://doi.org/10.1080/10632921.2021.1894285
Wade, G., & Tana, L. (Eds.). (2012). Anthony Reid and the study of the Southeast Asian past. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. https://doi.org/10.1355/9789814311977
Wehner, Leslie E. (2014). Role Theory, Narratives, and Interpretation: The Domestik Contestation of Roles. International Studies Review, 16, 411-436
Wijaya, H., & Pranoto, E. (2023). Economic Development in Indonesia’s Creative Economy Development. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-024-4_75
Mair, J., & Weber, K. (2019). Event and festival research: A review and research directions. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 10(3), 209-216. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEFM-10-2019-080
Yeoman, I., Robertson, M., Ali-Knight, J., Drummond, S., & Una, M. M. B. (2012). Festival and events management: An international arts and culture perspective. In Festival and Events Management: An International Arts and Culture Perspective. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780080477701
Yin, J. (2018). Rethinking Cultural Identity in the Context of Globalization. In Conflict Management and Intercultural Communication. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315266916-10
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Citra Aryandari, Sara Dewanti Purba, Fariz Al Hazmi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
