Etiquette in Indonesia

Various codes of etiquette in Indonesia govern the expectations of social behavior in the country and are considered very important.

[1] Like many social cultures, etiquette varies greatly depending on one's status relative to the person in question.

Indonesia is a vast tropical country of sprawling archipelago with extremely diverse culture and demographic make-up with over 600 ethnic groups,[2] and speaking more than 700 living languages.

Indonesia also has considerably significant numbers of Christian Protestant and Catholics population, also Hindu that mostly inhabit the island of Bali, and Buddhist that are mostly Chinese Indonesians.

Some ethnic groups such as the Javanese have a complex set of etiquette behaviors and are rather constrained in expressing their true feelings, while others, such as Batak and Betawi people, are more open and straightforward.

Smiling, even toward strangers that you are interacting with, or someone that accidentally met your eyes, is considered polite and could be a social ice-breaker and to sign that you are approachable.

Several ethnic groups have such tight knit relationships that its members are expected to be involved actively in many of their community events.

Social harmony and the spirit of cooperation is nurtured, as embodied in the tradition of decision by consensus (musyawarah-mufakat), and the long-established pattern of mutual assistance (gotong-royong).

For example, when shaking the hand with older persons, such as parents, grandparents and teachers, the younger people or students are expected to touch the back of the elder's palm with the tip of their nose or forehead, this reflects a special respect from the young to the old.

[11] This salim gesture is similar to hand-kissing, with exception it is only tip of nose or forehead that touch the hand, not the lips.

Today however in the relatively new atmosphere of democracy, expressing disagreement, performing demonstrations, and arguing in open debate are becoming more publicly acceptable.

[15] Saving one's face means one should carefully consider others' dignity and avoid them experiencing shame or humiliation.

[11][16] In certain cultures with significant Hindu-Buddhist heritage such as Bali, Java and Lombok — it is common to perform sembah; to greet by clasped two hands together in front of the chest while slightly bowing.

Traced to Dharmic Añjali Mudrā, it is the same as Indian namaste, Thai wai and Cambodian sampeah gesture, and preferred especially among Sundanese, Javanese, and Balinese people.

Pointing direction by doing smooth and graceful motion with your chin is quite acceptable,[6] except a sharp and strong movement, which is not polite and considered as an insult.

Indonesian traditional meals usually consists of steamed rice as staple, surrounded by vegetables and soup and meat or fish side dishes.

Knife however, is absent from dining table, thus most of the ingredients such as vegetables and meat are already cut into bite-size pieces prior to cooking.

Usually the one who does the inviting pays the bill,[18] while going Dutch is not common and often considered as a poor form,[6] though younger people and teenagers often do this.

In temples for example, shorts or mini skirts are not allowed, thus visitors are required to wear sarongs to cover their lower parts.

[20] Likewise, removing shoes and dress modestly is also expected when visiting Balinese Hindu temples.