Timorese Tradition in Welcoming Guest



Areca nut, betel leaf, whiting and tabaku which put into aubaku to serve to guest.

Photo by Linoy Machado



Timor-Leste country has a unique tradition in welcoming guest. Following are short general introduction of several ways in welcoming guest;

-           Welcoming guest with the very traditional way for common people: In Timor-Leste, especially in country side when someone visits our house things that we offer first is areca nut, betel leaf and whiting to eat together and tabaku (a traditional cigarette) for smoking where these things we put in “aubaku” (place to put areca nut, betel leaf and whiting to serve to guest) this has been existing long time ago from our ancestors and still well maintained till now before serving tea or coffee to guest. 





Timorese women line up and beat babadok to welcoming guest.
Photo by Mayumi Hayashi



-           Welcoming guest in a traditional way to important guest (important guest from other countries visiting Timor-Leste). In Timor-Leste, before welcoming important guest to this country, firstly we prepare some groups of people with the traditional drum and babadok (a traditional instruments from Timor-Leste which only beaten by female), and some groups prepared to wear scarf tais around the neck to guest. Tais is a form of traditional weaving created by the women of East Timor. This way is used when welcoming a very important guest from abroad as well as using this in district to welcome our leader to district. The way on how to welcome guest is; first a group of people who beat traditional drum and babadok will line up and beat their drum and babadok then together with the traditional dancer they will dance towards guest and welcome guest. After that they will wear tais to the neck of guest because tais is an essential part of the nation's cultural heritage and a symbol where Timorese people use to represent our tradition and culture to other people as well as to strengthen the relationship and cooperation. Other is we always prepare to draping a scarf tais to those who come to visit the organization in the first time.





Webbing from dry palm

leaves which webbing to become aubaku as shown in photo 1.

Photo by Mayumi Hayashi

Timorese woman was weaving tais.
Photo by Mayumi Hayashi



Tais Feto and Tais Mane
Photo by Mayumi Hayashi



This article is too short and just introduce in general way. Any comment to improve this article would be really appreciated!
Thanks for reading :)