1. “Ngetrik” & “Ngarak” – Java

This is not just about making noise. Ngetrik is a Javanese philosophy about driving away negative energy with sound. In villages across Central and East Java, residents gather carrying kitchen utensils (pots, pans, wooden slit drums), even tractors and diesel engines to make as much noise as possible. The ritual starts at 23:00 and peaks exactly at midnight. Difference from other countries: While the world waits for the clock to chime, here chaotic sound itself becomes the time marker.

Ngarak (parade) often accompanies this ritual. Residents create replicas of “gunungan” (mountains) containing agricultural products and traditional foods paraded around the village, then scrambled for after midnight. This symbolizes gratitude and hope for prosperity. In urban areas, while waiting for midnight, families often bond by playing games JDTOTO together like card games or traditional congklak to pass the time joyfully.

Forget imported plastic air horns. In Toraja, New Year’s Eve is filled with the sound of “Pa’pompang”—traditional trumpets made from buffalo or cow horns. The sound echoes between hills. This ritual is closely tied to the Aluk Todolo belief, accompanied by prayers and symbolic offerings to ancestors. After blowing them, residents smear chicken blood (purified with prayers) on each other’s foreheads as a symbol of protection. Later in the evening, the community gathers for playing games JDTOTO of strength and skill, which are seen as metaphors for facing the challenges of the coming year.