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ongs reminiscent of Betawi and old Jakarta were sung to the accompaniment of gambang kromong, a traditional Betawi orchestra, in the yard of Santo Servatius Catholic Church in Kampung Sawah, Bekasi, on Sunday.

The Sedekah Bumi, a post-harvest thanksgiving ceremony, was underway.

Sedekah Bumi comes from a Betawi tradition known as babaritan or thanksgiving, which has persevered at the church in Kampung Sawah, usually called the Betawi Church, as an expression of gratitude for a good harvest.

Locals used to bring along rice, coconuts and other agricultural products to offer their thanks. With the shrinking fields of Kampung Sawah today, the harvest items have been combined with various typical Betawi food and snacks that are available at the event’s fair.

A Betawi atmosphere permeated the Sedekah Bumi, in the decoration of the church’s altar, the clothes worn by churchgoers, the art presented and the food.

The initial ritual of Sedekah Bumi is Ngaduk Dodol, in which the dough of a Betawi-style sweet is stirred in the church’s front yard starting at 4 a.m. This time, however, the ritual began a bit later to give the congregation the opportunity to join in the dough stirring. The cooking of this Betawi “fudge” takes 7 to 8 hours.

The traditional requirements for this cooking process involve suggestion and control. Suggestion is done by patting the cooking pan three times while making a wish that the fudge will be properly cooked within the fixed time. If the time limit can’t be adhered to, the dough will be plunged into a flowing river.

Control in dodol cooking is done by maintaining the thickness of the dough so that it doesn’t get too thin. The people allowed to taste kole (the half-cooked fudge) are those considered the oldest. The cooking process uses rambutan wood or the ribs of coconut leaves as firewood because they don’t produce much ash. In addition, the fire for the dough has to be kept small and must not stop burning.

Before the fair, a “Betawi Eucharist” in the Kampung Sawah dialect was held. Female dancers in traditional outfits entered the church accompanying three priests — Yakobus Rudiyanto, FX Widoyoko and Albertus Hany Rudi Hartoko — to the altar.

The priests, unlike in the usual Eucharist, wore Betawi dress that Sunday.

The choir sang to the accompaniment of gambang kromong and the songs presented during the Mass were also deeply reminiscent of Betawi traditions.

The parish of Kampung Sawah has predominantly Betawi Catholic residents and church members maintain their Betawi culture in part by speaking Betawi.

In Kampung Sawah, this culture is preserved even though some other elements have already been lost.

One of the traditions that continues to survive, with some changes, is the babaritan, now known as Sedekah Bumi, which is today still observed in Kampung Sawah.