Only a few villages in Minahasa still carry out traditional village rituals. Some of these villages usually perform them during the village anniversary. Baator Kampung and Babersih Kampung are part of these traditional rituals. Kalaid village is one of them.

The rain had just stopped. Around 6:45 a.m. that morning in Tondano.

Kevin Saroinsong and I were ready to go on the road, heading to the village of the Tontemboan people in the Tounsawang area, southeastern Minahasa.

Kalaid village. The destination of our journey was the village where the Tou Rimboka had migrated. Coincidentally, that day, Wednesday, July 18, 2019, Kalaid village was celebrating its 95th anniversary.

After traveling for almost three hours from Tondano, we arrived in Kalaid—a village in the mountainous area of the land of Patokan Esa.

Reaching Kalaid is not easy. Besides the long distance from Tondano, the terrain is also difficult. From Tondano–Ratahan–Tombatu, the road conditions are still good. However, upon entering Lobu village, the road becomes damaged and full of holes. If you are lucky, during the rainy season, you can even find beautiful pools in the middle of the road. Amazing, right.

The challenge of damaged roads does not stop in Lobu. That is only the beginning. Broken roads, muddy tracks, holes, rough paths, and stones await. To reach the bridge near Ranoako village (a village before Kalaid), it requires effort and sacrifice. After crossing the bridge, the road becomes better, although there are still some damaged sections. The rough road made the front tire flat. The motorbike barely made it to Kalaid.

There may be hope for the people living in villages after Lobu up to Kalaid. Halfway through the journey, road construction had already begun. Two heavy machines were working to clear and level the road. If this road is fully completed, access for the community will become easier.

Seho trees, coconut trees, and clove trees can be seen along both sides of the road as you enter Kalaid village. These plants reflect the main sources of livelihood of the people of Kalaid.

Indeed, Kalaid is known as a producer of palm sugar, copra, and cloves. Its people live from cultivating the land and these crops.

Upon arriving in Kalaid, it was already lively.

Palm sugar blocks, cloves, and candles shaped as the number 95 were placed on a table. A large Manguni statue stood in front of the stage. Some people dressed in traditional Minahasan attire were already present. Others wearing red and black clothing were also ready. The village loudspeaker had begun to sound, announcing that the celebration of Kalaid’s anniversary would soon begin. The community had started to gather.

July 18 is the day when the people of Kalaid celebrate.

That day is commemorated as the village anniversary. The entire community celebrates it throughout the day. In fact, the celebration had already begun the day before. The commemoration is carried out through Kalaid’s traditional village ritual.

The series of traditional rituals had started on July 17. The village Tonaas (traditional leaders), consisting of nine people, had prepared everything. Babersih and baator of the village had been carried out until the early morning of the 18th.

Around 10 a.m., the main celebration began.

Nine young men, dressed in red and black, stood in formation. They are called Manguni Makasiow. They serve as the Waraney (warriors) of the village. At the beginning of the event, they went to retrieve the village heirlooms from the house of a village elder and brought them to the stage.

They then proceeded to pick up and escort nine elders dressed in white with red headbands from another house. They are the village Tonaas. The house where these elders gathered serves as the center of ritual activities. It is also the place where the person entrusted by the ancestors keeps the “Lulut i ndo’ong.” This responsibility is carried by the Tarek family clan. The Tonaas were escorted to the stage.

The celebration continued with the granting of the title Tonaas Wangko to the acting village head. After that, the history of Kalaid village was read.

Abednetju “Bintang” Umboh is a figure well known in Kalaid and Karimbow. He is a central figure in the history of Kalaid that was read during the ceremony. He is also known as Tete Bintang or Hukum Tua Bintang.

According to the story, in the past, there was a village head election in Karimbow. Tete Bintang and his father competed in that election. The result was that Abednetju H. Umboh lost to his father. He then decided to leave Karimbow and search for a new place to settle. His loyal followers joined him.

In short, after a long journey, he and his followers found a place to live. That place was named Kalaid, meaning “Defeated, Seeking Peace.” The name later changed—the letter “D” was replaced with “T,” becoming “Kalait.” That is the name used today (I use Kalaid).

Hukum Tua Bintang was known for his oaths and prayers. What he once declared became reality. For example, he once prayed and vowed that one day Kalaid would grow large and be visited by important people. This has happened. Kalaid has now expanded into four villages and has become the capital of South Touluaan District. It has also been visited by many high-ranking government officials.

He is also known for one of his oaths when founding Kalaid:
“Whoever does good in this village will become a good person. Even if they are descendants of the founders, if they do wrong, they will still receive their consequences.”

During the reading of the village history, the entire community listened carefully. From children to the elderly, everyone attended and listened with respect.

The anniversary celebration continued with a pilgrimage to the graves of the founders, such as Hukum Tua Bintang and his wife, as well as other village figures. The entire community participated—children, youth, teenagers, adults, elderly, men and women. Everyone. The road was filled with people. Crowded. The community moved together toward the graves of their ancestors, paying respect.

Along the way, people celebrated—bakuku and sang traditional songs.

On that day, everyone is allowed to bakuku. Anytime. Anyone. As long as it is on that day. No one will be angry. It is part of the tradition. It can only be done on that day.

In addition to bakuku, the community also sings traditional songs. This traditional singing is divided into several types: Mawincon, Maowei, and Maolat.

Mawincon is a song that tells real past events when the ancestors of Kalaid first entered the land.
Maowei is a song sung by farmers to praise God while working.
Maolat is a type of song to entertain while harvesting rice.

Along the road to the pilgrimage site, especially the elders performed these traditions. Some elders also performed Mawincon before and after the pilgrimage.

After the pilgrimage, the community returned to the event location and continued with a communal meal. This is a mandatory tradition for Minahasan people. The food is prepared by all the people of Kalaid. Each family cooks and brings food to be shared together.

Many people attended the celebration—traditional leaders, religious leaders, government officials, even the Regent of Southeast Minahasa. He appeared enthusiastic and promised that the road improvements would eventually increase the welfare of the community.

Kalaid may not be the only village in Minahasa that still performs traditional village rituals. However, it is the only village in Southeast Minahasa that still does so. This activity has been carried out regularly for a long time.

Although the traditional ritual is combined with other ceremonial events, it does not reduce the sacredness of its purpose.

The majority of Kalaid’s people are Christian and still strongly uphold their village traditions. This is proven through the traditional rituals held during the village anniversary. It shows the encounter between Christianity and Minahasan culture.

Kalaid has proven that appreciating life today is also connected to honoring and respecting the ancestors.

Furthermore, Kalaid shows that living within the knowledge of its traditions—Minahasan traditions—can sustain life until today. Many blessings from Kasuruan Wangko, the Creator, were given to the founders of Kalaid and are still enjoyed by its people today.

Traditional rituals are meant to restore order to what has become disordered and to reaffirm the purpose of life of a community in a village. As understood by Kalaid, it is able to preserve its traditions in order to preserve Minahasa—showing to the outside world that its founders and its people are capable of living within the noble traditions of Minahasa