In the eastern reaches of Indonesia, on the island of Tomia, an ancient custom is quietly blooming into a powerful symbol of both marital unity and environmental stewardship. This tradition, known as Hengkede, is a unique post-wedding ritual that transforms a couple’s first step into married life into a lasting gift for the earth.
For the people of Tomia, a wedding is never a one-day affair. After the sacred akad nikah (marriage contract) and the celebratory feast, the ceremony continues for three full days. The pinnacle of this extended procession is Sirau—the ceremonial escort of the bride to the groom’s family home. But upon arrival, the bride cannot simply step inside. She must first be formally welcomed and granted permission to sit by the groom’s mother or a senior female elder.
The invitation, however, is far from ordinary. Instead of a simple verbal welcome, the bride is offered a living symbol: a coconut palm—or another fruit-bearing tree—planted in the groom’s yard or family garden. This act, the very essence of Hengkede, signifies that the bride is not just entering a house, but rooting herself into new soil, ready to grow alongside her husband and his kin.
This year, that ancient tradition took on an even deeper meaning. On Wednesday, June 17, 2026, a young bride named Syaira—who had traveled all the way from Pringsewu, Lampung, on the island of Sumatra—experienced her own Hengkede. After a long procession adapted to her distant origins, she was led to her new home in Batauga, South Buton. There, waiting for her, was not just a symbolic plant, but a young coconut shoot, already planted firmly in the earth of the family’s garden.
The message was unmistakable: just as the tender sprout sinks its roots deep into the soil, so too shall Syaira and her groom, Ilmi, build a marriage that is resilient, enduring, and deeply connected to the land that now welcomes her.
What makes Hengkede particularly remarkable today is its official endorsement by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. In East Tomia, local customary leaders and marriage registrars now require every couple to plant a tree before their union is legally sealed. This mandate transforms a beautiful folkway into a binding commitment—not only to each other, but to the environment.
In an era of climate crisis and deforestation, this indigenous practice aligns seamlessly with modern conservation science. Planting trees is one of the most effective, low-cost ways to restore ecosystems, absorb carbon, prevent erosion, and nurture biodiversity. By rooting their marriage in a tree, each couple becomes a guardian of the earth, ensuring that their love story leaves a green, breathing legacy for generations to come.
The Hengkede ritual, then, is more than a quaint island custom. It is a living bridge between ancestral wisdom and contemporary environmental action. As Ilmi and Syaira planted their coconut shoot this week, they did more than honor their ancestors—they planted hope.
In the soil of Batauga, a new family takes root. And in that act, the past and the future grow together, one tree at a time.