Marriage Ceremony in Batak Toba Tribe: Between Consumerism and Purpose of Life

Abstract

The marriage ceremony for the Batak Toba tribe is a bond between a man and a woman along with relatives of men and women. Through marriage ceremonies they can enter the dalihan na tolu system, carry out a life cycle, become adults and have the right to enter the Batak lineage (tarombo). Because of the importance of the meaning of the marriage ceremony, the Batak Toba people continue to carry out this tradition. According to the tradition of the ancient people, the marriage ceremony was carried out simply by mutual cooperation. In accordance with its development, the marriage ceremony changed from simple to consumerism. Consumerism occurs in mindset, behavior and also matter. Consumer behavior is influenced by: globalization, lifestyle, popular culture and a lack of understanding of the meaning of the Batak Toba marriage ceremony. The phenomenon of consumerism that occurs in the Batak Toba wedding ceremony is very complex because it follows a long procession at a high cost. Although the behavior of consumerism has long been a problem, but in reality they remain immersed in a culture of consumerism . The culture of consumerism on the one hand is a problem but on the other hand is an arena to achieve purpose of life.