Gorontalo or Hulondalo people are the native people of the northern part of
Sulawesi
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...
. They are the most populous ethnicity in the
Minahasa Peninsula
The Minahasa Peninsula, also spelled Minahassa, is one of the four principal peninsulas on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. It stretches north from the central part of the island, before turning to the east and forming the northern boundary of th ...
. The Gorontalo people are predominantly
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
. Their native language is the
Gorontalo language
The Gorontalo language (also called Hulontalo) is a language spoken in Gorontalo Province, Sulawesi, Indonesia by the Gorontalo people.
Dialects
Musa Kasim et al. (1981) give five main dialects of Gorontalo: east Gorontalo, Limboto, Gorontol ...
. The Gorontalo people have traditionally been concentrated in the provinces of
Gorontalo
Gorontalo (Gorontalo language, Gorontaloan: ''Hulontalo'') is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi. Located on the Minahasa Peninsula, Gorontalo was formerly part of the province of North Sulawesi until its ...
,
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the Minahasa Peninsula of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia. It borders the Philippine province of Davao Occidental and Soccsks ...
, and the northern part of
Central Sulawesi
Central Sulawesi (Indonesian: ''Sulawesi Tengah'') is a province of Indonesia located at the centre of the island of Sulawesi. The administrative capital and largest city is located in Palu. The 2010 census recorded a population of 2,635,009 for ...
.
Etymology
The name Gorontalo probably derives from many terms, such as:
* ''Hulontalangio'', the name of a tribe which lives in an area
* ''Hua Lolontalango'', means a cave used for two-way travel
* ''Hulutalangi'', means noble
* ''Huluo lo Tola'', means a place where
snakehead fish reproduces
* ''Pongolatalo'' or ''Pohulatalo'', means a waiting place
* ''Gunung Telu'', means the third mountain
* ''Hunto'', means a place always flowed with water
Gorontalo people sometime refer themselves as ''Hulandalo'' or ''Hulantalo'', a well-known term in Gorontalo and North Sulawesi, which usually refer to the region of Gorontalo or the native people from Gorontalo.
The Gorontalo people also have a family kinship system called ''Pohala'a''. This system is a heritage of the kingdoms that had previously established in
Gorontalo
Gorontalo (Gorontalo language, Gorontaloan: ''Hulontalo'') is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi. Located on the Minahasa Peninsula, Gorontalo was formerly part of the province of North Sulawesi until its ...
. There are five ''pohala'a'' in
Gorontalo
Gorontalo (Gorontalo language, Gorontaloan: ''Hulontalo'') is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi. Located on the Minahasa Peninsula, Gorontalo was formerly part of the province of North Sulawesi until its ...
, namely Gorontalo, Limboto, Suwawa, Bualemo and Atinggola; where the Gorontalo ''pohala'a'' is the most prominent among the ''pohala'a''s.
History
Origins
The origins of the Gorontalo people is uncertain. There are two Southeast Asian migration theories, with the first theory states that the population of Southeast Asian originally came from the east, and then inhabited in
Sulawesi
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...
. While the second theory explains that the human migration began from
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
and arrived in
Sulawesi
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...
through the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. Linguistically, Gorontalo people share the same origins with other Austronesian people of the
Philippine Islands
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
and
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the Minahasa Peninsula of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia. It borders the Philippine province of Davao Occidental and Soccsks ...
islands.
There is a Gorontalo legend that tells a story that they are the descendants of ''Hulontalangi'', or the people that came from the skies and reside on Mount Tilongkabila,
Bone Bolango Regency. The name Hulontalangi then became Hulontalo and Gorontalo.
Pre-historic period
According to legend, the first Gorontalo kingdom emerged at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC.
Gorontalo
Gorontalo (Gorontalo language, Gorontaloan: ''Hulontalo'') is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi. Located on the Minahasa Peninsula, Gorontalo was formerly part of the province of North Sulawesi until its ...
is believed to have inhabited by humans since prehistoric times. The Oluhuta site in
Bone Bolango Regency is an archaeology site which provides information about the tombs of previous communities that were estimated to have lived around 2000–4000 years ago.
Gorontalo kingdoms
The establishment of the
Gorontalo
Gorontalo (Gorontalo language, Gorontaloan: ''Hulontalo'') is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi. Located on the Minahasa Peninsula, Gorontalo was formerly part of the province of North Sulawesi until its ...
region have been estimated to formed 400 years ago. Gorontalo is one of the places that are recognized for the spreading of
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
in
East Indonesia
The State of East Indonesia ( id, Negara Indonesia Timur, old spelling: ''Negara Indonesia Timoer'', nl, Oost-Indonesië) was a post–World War II state formed in the eastern half of Dutch East Indies. Established in December 1946, it became ...
besides
Ternate
Ternate is a city in the Indonesian province of North Maluku and an island in the Maluku Islands. It was the ''de facto'' provincial capital of North Maluku before Sofifi on the nearby coast of Halmahera became the capital in 2010. It is off the we ...
and
Bone state
Bone (also ''Boni'', or ''Bone Saoraja'') was a sultanate in the south-west peninsula of what is now Sulawesi (formerly Celebes), a province of modern-day Indonesia. It came under Dutch rule in 1905, and was succeeded by the Bone Regency.
C ...
. By 1525, when the Portuguese arrived at
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the Minahasa Peninsula of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia. It borders the Philippine province of Davao Occidental and Soccsks ...
,
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
had already been widely spread among them during the rule of King Amay; with the Gorontalo lands divided between the Muslim states of Gorontalo, Limboto, Suwawa, Boalemo and Atinggola. Gorontalo then developed to become the center of education and trade in
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the Minahasa Peninsula of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia. It borders the Philippine province of Davao Occidental and Soccsks ...
. The city of the Gorontalo Kingdom first began in Hulawa village beside the Bolango River. Before the arrival of the Europeans, the kingdoms in Gorontalo have already adhered to a family bonding system called ''pohala'a'', which is still found today.
Dutch East India Company period
Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, the Gorontalo kingdoms were under the influence of the
Ternate Sultanate
The Sultanate of Ternate (Jawi alphabet: كسلطانن ترنتاي), previously also known as the Kingdom of Gapi is one of the oldest Muslim kingdoms in Indonesia besides Tidore, Jailolo, and Bacan. The Ternate kingdom was established by M ...
. Gorontalo came under the administrative region of the
Dutch East India Company
The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
with the formation of
Gorontalo Regency
Gorontalo is a regency of Gorontalo Province, Indonesia, on the island of Sulawesi. It was established in 1959 under Law Number (''Undang-Undang Nomor'') 29/1959, but has subsequently been reduced in area as additional regencies have been cut out ...
as a result of a treaty between Governor Ternate Robertus Patbrugge and the Gorontalo king.
During the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
period, Gorontalo people began to emigrate out of Gorontalo region in the 18th century; to other regions such as
Ternate
Ternate is a city in the Indonesian province of North Maluku and an island in the Maluku Islands. It was the ''de facto'' provincial capital of North Maluku before Sofifi on the nearby coast of Halmahera became the capital in 2010. It is off the we ...
,
Ambon Island
Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of two territories: the city of Ambon, Maluku, Ambon to the south and various districts ('' ...
,
Buol Island
Bool Island ( id, Pulau Buol; nl, Poelau Bul; also called Paligisan and Buol) is an island off the north-west coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia. It lies within Toli-Toli Regency of Central Sulawesi
Central Sulawesi ( Indonesian: ''Sulawesi Tengah ...
,
Banggai Island
Banggai Island is the second largest of the Banggai Islands, an archipelago located at the far eastern end of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. The largest island is Peleng
Peleng is an island off the east coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia and is the l ...
and
Minahasa Regency
Minahasa Regency is a regency in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Its capital is Tondano. It covers an area of 1,141.64 km2 and had a population of 310,384 at the 2010 Census; this rose to 347,290 at the 2020 Census.
Several cities and regencies r ...
, in order to avoid the forced labor system that was enforced by the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
government in Gorontalo at that time.
There were military-political alliance, which by the end of the 19th century they were fully colonized by the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
. In 1950
Gorontalo
Gorontalo (Gorontalo language, Gorontaloan: ''Hulontalo'') is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi. Located on the Minahasa Peninsula, Gorontalo was formerly part of the province of North Sulawesi until its ...
as a part of
State of East Indonesia
The State of East Indonesia ( id, Negara Indonesia Timur, old spelling: ''Negara Indonesia Timoer'', nl, Oost-Indonesië) was a post–World War II state formed in the eastern half of Dutch East Indies. Established in December 1946, it became ...
rejoined
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
.
Formation of Gorontalo province
Before Gorontalo became a province of its own, the Gorontalo region was part of the
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the Minahasa Peninsula of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia. It borders the Philippine province of Davao Occidental and Soccsks ...
Province with a regency status. However on 5 December 2000, in accordance to Article 38 Year 2000, Gorontalo Regency became a separate province with the name Gorontalo Province. The
Ministry of Home Affairs
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
at that time, Soerjadi Soedirdja officiate the Gorontalo Province and appointed Tursandi Alwi as the governor. A year later,
Fadel Muhammad
Fadel Muhammad Alhaddar ( ar-at, فاضل محمد الهدار, Fāḍel Muḥammad al-Haddār) He was appointed as the governor of the then-newest Indonesian province, Gorontalo, for the period 2001–2006. In 2006, he won the first Gorontalo ...
was elected as the first governor of Gorontalo Province.
Language
The
Gorontalo language
The Gorontalo language (also called Hulontalo) is a language spoken in Gorontalo Province, Sulawesi, Indonesia by the Gorontalo people.
Dialects
Musa Kasim et al. (1981) give five main dialects of Gorontalo: east Gorontalo, Limboto, Gorontol ...
is a member of the
Austronesian language family. Apart from Gorontalo, there are several languages that are similar which are considered by linguists as Gorontalo dialects, including
Suwawa
Suwawa is a district (''kecamatan'') and capital district of Bone Bolango Regency, Gorontalo
Gorontalo ( Gorontaloan: ''Hulontalo'') is a province of Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi. Located on the Minahasa Peninsula, Gorontalo was form ...
,
Atinggola
Atinggola is a small town and district in Gorontalo Regency in Gorontalo, northern Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is located on the Celebes Sea
The Celebes Sea, (; ms, Laut Sulawesi, id, Laut Sulawesi, fil, Dagat Selebes) or Sulawesi Sea, of the ...
,
Limboto Limboto is a town in Indonesia and the administrative centre of Gorontalo Regency
Gorontalo is a regency of Gorontalo Province, Indonesia, on the island of Sulawesi. It was established in 1959 under Law Number (''Undang-Undang Nomor'') 29/1959, bu ...
,
Kwandang
Kwandang is a town in Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, a ...
,
Tilamuta, and
Sumawata.
Gorontalo is widely used in contemporary society due to the influence of the Gorontalo Kingdom that was once established in the region. Atinggola is used by the Atinggola community situated on the northern coast of Gorontalo.
Today, Gorontalo itself have gone through assimilation with
Manado Malay
Manado Malay, or simply the Manado language, is a creole language spoken in Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province in Indonesia, and the surrounding area. The local name of the language is , and the name Minahasa Malay is also used, afte ...
, which is also widely spoken by Gorontaloans. In terms of linguistics, Gorontalo is related to other languages from
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the Minahasa Peninsula of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia. It borders the Philippine province of Davao Occidental and Soccsks ...
and the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
.
Gorontalo along with
Mongondow are classified by linguists as being part of the
Gorontalo–Mongondow languages
The Gorontalo–Mongondow languages are a group of Austronesian languages spoken in northern Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Languages
The Gorontalo–Mongondow languages are divided into two branches:
*Gorontalic: Bolango, Buol, Bintauna, Gorontalo ...
, which are part of the wider
Philippine languages
The Philippine languages or Philippinic are a proposed group by R. David Paul Zorc (1986) and Robert Blust (1991; 2005; 2019) that include all the languages of the Philippines and northern Sulawesi, Indonesia—except Sama–Bajaw (languages ...
grouping. The Philippine languages, which are linguistically close to Gorontalo, include
Tagalog,
Cebuano,
Hiligaynon,
Bikol, and
Waray.
Today, Gorontalo is more often written using the
Latin alphabet
The Latin alphabet or Roman alphabet is the collection of letters originally used by the ancient Romans to write the Latin language. Largely unaltered with the exception of extensions (such as diacritics), it used to write English and the o ...
; however, the use of Gorontalo as a written language is limited. In schools for education, the media, and official documents,
Indonesian
Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to:
* Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia
** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago
** Indonesian ...
is more used.
Religion
Most Gorontaloans claim adherence to the
Islamic
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...
faith. By the early 16th century, most Gorontaloan adopted Islam via Ternate influence. There are numerous traditional customs of the Gorontalo people that contain Islamic influences. Only a small minority of Gorontalo people practice other religions, such as
Protestantism
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
and
Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
.
Customs are regarded as an honor, norms and even as a guideline to implementing governance for the Gorontalo community. This is attributed to the expression of "''Adat Bersendi Sara''" and "''Sara Bersendi Kitabullah''". The meaning of these sayings is that customs (''adat'') are implemented based on rules (''sara''), while these rules must be based on the Islamic holy book, the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
.
Therefore it is understood that the lives of the Gorontalo people are full of religious values and noble values.
During the end of Ramadan, the people conducted ''Tombbilotohe''; a cultural celebration with oil lamps, which is lit around mosques and settlements.
Culture
![COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Besnijdenisfeest_te_Gorontalo_Manado_Noord-Celebes_TMnr_10002921](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Besnijdenisfeest_te_Gorontalo_Manado_Noord-Celebes_TMnr_10002921.jpg)
The Gorontalo community have a high social sense, so much so that there is hardly any conflict among themselves. A tight knitted kinship system is always preserved by the Gorontalo community, as exemplified in the ''Pohala'a'' family bond system. Mutual cooperation or ''huyula'' tradition is preserved in the daily lives of the community, and every issues will be solved through discussion.
Gorontalo people have a philosophy of life, namely, ''batanga pomaya, nyawa podungalo, harata potom bulu'' meaning, "the body is to defend the homeland, faithful to the end, wealth brings social problems" and ''lo iya lo ta uwa, ta uwa loloiya, boodila polucia hi lawo'' which means, "a leader is full of authority, but it's not arbitrary".
Traditional attires are multicolored, with each of the colors represent its symbolic aspect. Gorontalo people are also famous for their developed musical culture.
Socio-economics
The main traditional occupation of the Gorontalo people has long been agriculture. Gorontaloans plays an important part in forestry, agriculture and fishery industries. Crafting and livestock farms are secondary means of income.
In the past, there were large extensions of extended family who could carry out joint agricultural farming in mountainous region that requires a lot of soil cultivating work. The elderly father and mother are regarded as the main hosts, which is reflected in the
Gorontalo language
The Gorontalo language (also called Hulontalo) is a language spoken in Gorontalo Province, Sulawesi, Indonesia by the Gorontalo people.
Dialects
Musa Kasim et al. (1981) give five main dialects of Gorontalo: east Gorontalo, Limboto, Gorontol ...
. It has not adopted a variety of intimate forms of addressing to parents and older relatives.
Architecture
The main type of Gorontalo settlement are the villages. The traditional house is called Dulohupa, consists of a frame structure built on stilts. It is built with choice timber and its roofing is made of straws. The house is then divided into several rooms. By the entrance are two staircases. In the past, Dulohupa is usually used to carry out discussions by the royal rulers. Traditional Dulohupa house can still be found in several sub-districts in
Gorontalo
Gorontalo (Gorontalo language, Gorontaloan: ''Hulontalo'') is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi. Located on the Minahasa Peninsula, Gorontalo was formerly part of the province of North Sulawesi until its ...
.
Apart from Dulohupa, there is another traditional Gorontalo house called, Bandayo Poboide. However the existence of the Bandayo Poboide is almost extinct throughout the entire region of
Gorontalo
Gorontalo (Gorontalo language, Gorontaloan: ''Hulontalo'') is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi. Located on the Minahasa Peninsula, Gorontalo was formerly part of the province of North Sulawesi until its ...
. One of the very few remaining Bandayo Poboide is situated in front of the Gorontalo Regent's office at Jenderal Sudirman Road,
Limboto, Gorontalo Limboto is a town in Indonesia and the administrative centre of Gorontalo Regency
Gorontalo is a regency of Gorontalo Province, Indonesia, on the island of Sulawesi. It was established in 1959 under Law Number (''Undang-Undang Nomor'') 29/1959, b ...
.
Literature
Lumadu is a type of native Gorontalo oral literature in the form of brain exercising riddles and metaphors or parables. Lumadu if often used by children for games, while metaphoric Lumadu is often used in conversations among adults with the purpose to show courtesy for others, to broaden the conversation with others and to bring value into the subject of the conversation.
Folk dance
One of the cultural art form of the Gorontalo people is the Polopalo dance. This traditional dance is popular among the Gorontalo community, and even as far as
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the Minahasa Peninsula of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia. It borders the Philippine province of Davao Occidental and Soccsks ...
region.
Local traditions
There are several traditional customs from the Gorontalo community, among them:
* Momonto and Modutu wedding customs. In the traditional wedding customs of the Gorontalo people, there are few regulations and procedures that must be carried out by both of the bride and bridegroom. Gorontalo people still hold onto the generational traditions as part of their customs and culture. The wedding ceremony is carried out alternately in both of the house of the bride and bridegroom. The wedding ceremony can last for more than two days. Relatives will work collectively in preparing the wedding ceremony for a few days prior to the wedding day. Both of the bride and bridegroom will dress in the traditional attire, Bili’u. The bridal bedroom is used during the wedding reception in accordance to the Gorontalo customs.
* Molontalo or Tontalo (Seventh Month Ceremony), is a customary ceremony as an expression of gratitude once a pregnancy period reaches the seventh month. In holding this customary event, both of the unborn child's parents must put on traditional Gorontalo attire. A little girl will be carried by the prospective father, circling the house and finally enters the house into the room to meet his pregnant wife. After the prospective father and the little girl meets the pregnant wife, a string made of coconut leaf that was tied around the pregnant wife previously will be severed. In this Tontalo ceremony seven dishes are served on seven different trays and then these foods are distributed among the invited guests.
References
External links
{{Ethnic groups in Indonesia
Ethnic groups in Indonesia
Central Sulawesi
Gorontalo (province)
North Sulawesi
Muslim communities of Indonesia