Compare and Contrast
Our new year
Winter Solstice (Northern Hemisphere)
New year is typically during the winter in the northern hemisphre
"In the USA and some other areas in the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice marks the first day of winter. However, the official date for the first day of winter varies depending on the country's climate, and whether they follow astronomical or meteorological seasons.
" timeanddate.com
Family reunions
During the winter in the US, families reunite for traditions like a christmas dinner or new years
Subtopic
Northern hemisphere: Winter(temperate climates: Atlantic, Northtime, Meditterainian, Continental)
In the nothern hemisphere, the climate is usually at low temperatures
The Arctic is the area that is north of the Arctic Circle at 66.5°N. It has a climate with very cold winters and cool summers. In the winter, it is in complete darkness for 24 hours per day and in the summer it receives 24 hours of sunlight.
Jesus Birth- renovation, life cycle, fertility
In the US there are Christianic beliefs that during the new year, Jesus was born
Sumbanese New Year
Nyale Full moon
"the spawning of worms will take place on the fifth day
after the full moon of March (20th lunar calendar)"- Revisiting the Spawning Pattern of Nyale Worms
Full moon in March when worms rise that may be used for food during Sumbanese New Year
Pasola
visits and offering to ancestors' tombs
special food: worms with rice
"However, the beach bares other prints. Even the priests have been to the shore, sneaking peaks at the elusive nyale. These tiny seaworms are the focus of the festival. Normally, nyale reproduce by budding, but on one day just after the winter full moon, they wash ashore in a frenzy of fornication. The worms are seen as a sign from the gods. Fat nyale mean a rich rice crop. Thin or Brittle nyale can indicate flooding or famine." Gluckman.com
In the video, people of Sumba are shown searching for worms on the day of Pasola where worms are found, later they are shown eating the worms with rice.
new years song
visits and offering to ancestors' tombs
Dry season (tropical climate)
"In Sumba, an Indonesian island belonging to the group of the Lesser Sunda Islands, the climate is tropical, hot all year round, with a rainy season from December to March and a dry season from June to October. In the rainy season, the sun shines for a few hours a day, in fact, it usually rains a couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours in the afternoon." claimsworth.com
The climate during Sumbanese new year is tropical
In the video, the climate is shown as a dry season where the location is shown to be tropical climate
Everything done in the New Year celebration is meant to please the Marapu and have them protect their rice crops. The Pasola, and the Marapu are mainly related to birth.
"Pasola is a tradition carried out by the West Sumbanese to celebrate the rice-planting season. This is a blood sport, played by two different groups of Sumba cowboys riding horses adorned in their tribal regalia, who throw wooden spears at their opponent, demonstrating great riding skills and accuracy in spear throwing. In the Sumbanese ancient beliefs, the blood spilled during the game (yes, the wooden spears draw blood!) will fertilize the land for a better harvest." globetrotting.com
In the video, people of Sumba are shown to be in horses battling with spears charging at each other. Also it is explained by a Sumbanese person that the Pasola and New Year are used to please the Marapu which a very important person in their culture.