1 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of study
Culture or cultures derived from Sanskrit which buddhayah, which is the
plural form of buddhi (mind or intellect) is defined as the things pertaining to the
mind and human reason. Lim Ai Meng says that is derived from the cultivation of
culture and power. Budi is a sense that a spiritual element in culture, whereas the
mean power of any act or endeavor as a physical element, so the culture is defined
as the result of reason and human effort.
Culture is a way of life that developed and owned jointly by a group of
people and passed down from generation to generation. Culture formed a complex
of many elements, including religious and political systems, customs, languages,
clothing, buildings, and works of art.
Culture is a holistic lifestyle, culture is complex, abstract, and broad.
Many aspects of culture also determine communicative behavior. The elements of
the socio-cultural spread and includes many social activities humans.
The meaning of Imlek for the society of Chinese in Medan is remainder of
the ancient Chinese tradition. Before 1985, Imlek was celebrated by the Chinese a
large scale, but afterwards the celebration becomes simple although it still retains
its social ritual meaning for them.
Certainly, the celebration of Imlek New Year has changed. In China,
Imlek New Year is no longer celebrated as a ceremonial tradition to welcome the
Chinese New Year anymore, because the government has adopted 1st January as
the formal New Year. Nowadays, people celebrates Imlek New Year only as a
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Festival of Spring season to welcome the first day of Spring season. However, it
does not mean that the tradition of celebrating Imlek New Year has gone at all.
Most of the Chinese still believe that the rules of tradition influence their life.
According to the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, Imlek New Year is
celebrated by Chinese in the first day of the first moon whereas in the official
calendar, it is celebrated at the end of January it may come in the first of February.
According to the official lunar calendar, Imlek New Year does not take
place in a certain date because in Chinese traditional calendar, there are twin
months in each three years. For example, if in 1990, there were double may then
in the next three years, the same twin months will appear again.
1.2 The Problem of study
Based on the Background above, the problem of study is What is the
Meaning of Imlek for Chinese Society in Medan ?
1.3 The Scope of study
There are many things that can be discussed about Imlek New Year, but it
is takes a lot of time. Writer limits the writing just to The meanings of Imlek for
Chinese people in Medan.
1.4 Objective of study
The object of writing this paper is to describe The meanings of Imlek for
Chinese people in Medan.
3 1.5 The Purposes of study
This research is done on a purpose for young generation to understand the
basic meaning of Imlek celebration. The day to describe the whole preparation
need to do to celebrate the Imlek.
1.6 The Reason for choosing the Topic
One of the reasons why the authors are interested in researching the
meaning of the Imlek Chinese community in Medan is because society in general
has been carrying out Chinese Imlek Year with joy.
This celebration previously associated with Buddhist religious beliefs. But the
Chinese people are mostly ethnic majority is Hokkien, which is still good
Buddhist religion and have embraced other religious beliefs, still celebrating the
Lunar joyfully.
1.7 The Method of study
This research is qualitative. This report was written by descriptive. The
data obtained through interviews and a few books that are relevant to the topic.
The main data source is through informant interviews and through several
references, the authors getting some information for research topics.
