CONSTRUCTION OF SYMBOLIC MEANINGS IN THE JEMBUL TULAKAN TRADITION IN JEPARA: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY THROUGH THE PARADIGM OF SYMBOLIC INTERPRETATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21009/ishel.v2i1.69619Keywords:
cultural symbols, ethnography, jembul tulakan, local wisdom, symbolic interpretationAbstract
The Jembul Tulakan tradition is a cultural practice preserved by the people of Tulakan Village, Jepara Regency, as a form of cultural expression and collective meaning. This study aims to examine the symbolic meanings embodied in Jembul Lanang, Jembul Wadon, and ritual culinary practices through the perspective of symbolic interpretation. An ethnographic approach was employed using participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The participants included traditional leaders, ritual custodians, village officials, and local community members. The findings reveal that Jembul Lanang symbolizes strength, protection, and the continuity of agrarian life, whereas Jembul Wadon represents fertility, harmony, and spiritual relationships. Ritual foods function as symbolic media that connect social, cultural, and spiritual dimensions through the practice of ngalap berkah. The Jembul Tulakan tradition serves not only as an annual ritual but also as a means of preserving cultural values and strengthening collective identity. The study demonstrates that cultural symbols within local traditions continue to be constructed and transmitted through the social experiences of the community.
References
Anderson. (2014). Food and Environment in Early and Traditional Societies. Annual Review of Anthropology.
Anismar, Rukaiyah, & Nasution. (2021). Pemaknaan Simbolik pada Prosesi Kenduri Blang: Studi Kasus Gampong Ulee Gle Pidie Jaya. Jurnal Sosiologi Agama Indonesia, 2. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.22373/jsai.v2i1.1180
Atkinson, P. (2017). Thinking Ethnographically. Sociological Review. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Cain, C. L., & Scrivner, B. (2021). Everyday Ritual and Ethnographic Practice: Two Cases Showing the Importance of Embodiment and Reflexivity. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 51. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/08912416211060663
Darmoko, D. (2022). Ruwatan: Upacara Pembebasan Malapetaka Tinjauan Sosiokultural Masyarakat Jawa. Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia, 6. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.7454/mssh.v6i1.29
Eka, S. D., Zain, D., Athaya, R. M., & Dzaki, W. R. (2025). Komunikasi Bertopeng di Media Sosial: Strategi Generasi Z dalam Menggunakan Akun Kedua untuk Mengelola Identitas Digital. Seminar Nasional Ilmu Ilmu Sosial.
Geertz, C. (1973). The Interpretation of Cultures. Basic Books.
Gelfand, M. J., Caluori, N., Jackson, J. C., & Taylor, M. K. (2020). Evolutionary Trade-Off of Ritualistic Synchrony. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 375. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0432
Gelfand, M. J., Caluori, N., & Taylor, J. C. J. M. K. (2020). The Cultural Evolutionary Trade-Off of Ritualistic Synchrony. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 17. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0432
Hanan, A. (2022). Covid-19 dan Disrupsi Praktik Ritual Keagamaan di Indonesia: dari Tradisional ke Virtual (Covid-19 and The Disruption of Religious Practices in Indonesia: From Traditional to Virtual). Jurnal Sosiologi Reflektif, 16. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.14421/jsr.v16i2.2378
Hirzi, M. H., Rahmat, Abida, R. F., & Siregar, W. Z. B. (2024). Makanan Ritual dan Makna Simboliknya: Analisis Tradisi Kuliner Sego Langgi di Lamongan, Indonesia. Al-Adabiya: Jurnal Kebudayaan Dan Keagamaan, 20. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.37680/adabiya.v20i2.7220
Huberman, M. B. M. dan A. M. (2014). Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook. Sage Publications.
Husama, H., & In’am, A. (2025). Kearifan Lokal dan Literasi: Mengungkap Tren dan Kontribusi Riset Global. CV. Bildung Nusantara.
Jhon, C. W. (2024). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Keeler, W. (1987). Javanese Shadow Plays, Javanese Selves. Princeton University Press.
Khamimiya, A. R., & Sudrajat, A. (2025). The Symbolic Meaning of Food in the Manggulan Nyambung Tuwuh Manten Tradition in Betak Village. Jurnal Antropologi: Isu-Isu Sosial Budaya, 23. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.25077/jantro.v25.n2.p271-282.2023
Koentjaraningrat. (1984). Manusia dan Kebudayaan di Indonesia. Djambatan.
Koentjaraningrat. (2009). Pengantar Ilmu Antropologi. Rineka Cipta.
Kurniawan, A. R. (2024). Simbol dan ritual dalam tradisi Tabut di Bengkulu: Kajian antropologis dengan pendekatan teori simbolik Clifford Geertz. Journal of Comparative Study of Religions, 5. https://doi.org/10.21111/jcsr.v5i1.13058
Lems, A. (2022). Deciphering Everyday Meaning-Making With Gramsci. Dialectical Anthropology, 4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10624-022-09658-5.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Mahfudh, M., & Susetiyo, A. (2025). Islamic Da‘wah of Wali Songo: Religious Moderation Through Cultural Acculturation in a Pluralistic Society. Jasna Jornal for Aswaja Studies, 5. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.34001/jasna.v5i2.8675
Ortner, S. B. (2020). Theory in Anthropology Since the Sixties. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 26. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0010417500010811
Pink, S., Horst, H., Postill, J., Hjorth, L., Lewis, T., & Tacchi, J. (2021). Digital Ethnography: Principles and Practice. SAGE Publications.
Resnik, D. B. (2019). The Ethics of Research with Human Subjects: Protecting People, Advancing Science, Promoting Trust. Springer International.
Rizqianah, Aliffiati, & Murniasih. (2021). Membongkar Fungsi Makanan Terkait Ritual Keagamaan dalam Sanggring Gumeno: Suatu Analisis Antropologi Kuliner. Sunari Penjor: Journal of Anthropology, 5. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24843/SP.2021.v5.i01.p03
Rofiq, A., & Fatholla, F. (2023). Ritual Numpengi Mbah Buyut Ndugo-Selino: Studi Teori Simbolik Victor Witter Turner. Al-Mada: Jurnal Agama, Sosial, Dan Budaya, 7. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.31538/almada.v7i2.6907
Saturnino, M., & Borras, S. (2009). Agrarian Change and Peasant Studies: Changes, Continuities and Challenges – An Introduction. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 36. https://doi.org/:10.1080/03066150902820297
Weber, M. (1978). Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive Sociology. University of California Press.
Yuliana, N., Burhanuddin, B., & Mahyudi, J. (2022). Sistem simbol dalam ritual Maulid Adat Bayan (analisis teori Victor Turner). Kabillah: Journal of Social Community, 7. https://ejournal.kopertais4.or.id/madura/index.php/kabilah/article/view/5789
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Saputri Ainaul Mardiyah
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
