Indonesian has a diverse culture in each region, as well as in Java. It has lots of cultural heritage that’s still preserved until now. One of them is Javanese, which is commonly known by the term ‘weton’. To know deeply about this unique calculation, here will be explained about it as follows.
Definition Of Weton
Weton is a combination of ‘saptawara’ and ‘pancawara’. Itself comes from the word “wetu” Which in Javanese means born or out which gets the suffix “an” so that it turns into a noun. Weton is one of the calculations that can find out someone’s birthday.
It is a scientific belief that consists of the combination of life science, knowledge, and Javanese cosmology. This combination is also used in the development of astrology, geography, mathematics, astronomy and many more.
The Origin of Weton
The essence of weton is a birthday celebration based on days in the Javanese calendar. In the Javanese calendar, one week consists of seven days adopted from the Islamic calendar and five Javanese market days. Weton, is a combination of both which shows the day of someone’s birth.
The combination of Saka calendar, Islamic calendar, and the Julian calendar brought by the invaders from the West Country at that time are considered today as the Javanese calendar.
Kinds of Weton
Although one month averages 30 days, the Weton celebration consists of every 35 days due to a combination of the usual seven-day cycle and the five-day market cycle, called Pancawara.
Pancawara or in Javanese call ‘Pasaran’ is a five-day market cycle, such as Paing or Pahing, Pon, Wage, Kliwon, and Legi. The fifth day is used by the Javanese community as a sign of ‘Pasaran’ going on certain days, for example is done every Kliwon day called Pasar Kliwon.
The following is table of Day, Neptu and Pasaran in weton:
| Day | Neptu | Pasaran | Neptu |
| Sunday | 5 | Legi | 5 |
| Monday | 4 | Pahing | 9 |
| Tuesday | 3 | Pon | 7 |
| Wednesday | 7 | Wage | 4 |
| Thursday | 8 | Kliwon | 8 |
| Friday | 6 | ||
| Saturday | 9 |
Indonesian Trust Weton
The Javanese dating system is commonly used not only signify someone’s birthday, but start from determining the planting and harvesting period, traveling, determining a decision, even to being believed to be able to portray character or fate.
Ancient People could see someone’s stature when the baby comes out of the womb in the first time. By seeing the weton at that time, the character of the baby could be guessed later. Various ‘standard’ in the calculation and interpretation of Weton is deeply rooted. Various methods, formulas, provisions, whether other formulas are believed from generation to generation have the meaning to be a guide or a warning for those who believe it.
Nowadays variety of calculations with weton appears; one of them is like predicting a match. This calculation is only issued when a young couple decides to get married. The elderly who still believe in weton, will count the number of both weton.
