Aceh Wedding Dress and Ethnic Culture

Aceh is a diverse region occupied by several ethnic and language groups. The major ethnic groups are the Acehnese (who are distributed throughout Aceh), Gayo (in central and eastern part), Alas (in southeastern), Tamiang (in Aceh Tamiang), Aneuk Jamee (concentrated in southern and southwestern), Kluet (in South Aceh), and Simeulue (on Simeulue Island). There is also a significant population of Chinese, who are influential in the business and financial communities.
The Acehnese language is widely spoken within the Acehnese population. This is a member of the Aceh-Chamic group of languages, whose other representatives are mostly found in Vietnam and Cambodia, and is also closely related to the Malay group of languages. Achenese has many words borrowed from Malay and Arabic and traditionally was written using Arabic script. Acehnese is also used as local language in Langkat and Asahan (North Sumatra), and Kedah (Malaysia), and once dominated Penang. Alas and Kluet are closely related languages within the Batak group. The Jamee language originated from Minang language in West Sumatra, with just a few variation and differences.
Aceh was once a meeting point for people from many nations, and among the present day Acehnese can be found some individuals of Arab, Turkish, and Indian descent. Before the tsunami, the region of Meureuhom Daya (Lamno) used to have an unusually high number of people with fair complexions, blue eyes and blond hair, and local traditions attributed to Turkish or Portuguese ancestry

Betawi Wedding Ceremony

Jakarta has its own special Betawi culture, which suggests the string of influences that reached the city's shores over the centuries. A long process of selectively borrowing and uniquely blending Chinesse, Arab, Portuguese and Dutch elements with native ingenuity has produces the colorful, composite Betawi culture. The word "Betawi" is derived from Batavia, the old name of the capital during the Dutch administration.

Pockets of Betawi life are still culturally alive throughout Jakarta with celebrations of wedding and the rhythms of a distinctive style of music. From the Betawi wedding dress alone one gets a glimpse of the many influences that passed through the gateway of the nation. The Betawi bride wears a gown inspired by the Chinesse ceremonial dress. Although there are many variations of the wedding costume, all feature tassels covering the face and a red dress. The bridegroom - in striking
People and Culture
The city's dominant populations come from the surrounding areas of Java, many parts of Sumatera, Bali, and Sulawesi. Also making themselves known are those hailing from Papua, Indonesia's most eastern province, and Kalimantan, home of the Dayaks and one of the largest rainforests in the world. Over the centuries, these groups have kept their cultural roots, yet some have also inter-mixed, including with non-Indonesians, to form a special group of their own known as Orang Betawi.contrast - dons a costume derived from Arab and Indian Sources.