JAVANESE TRADIRIONAL MARRIAGE CEREMONY AND ITS PHILOSOPHICAL MEANING Atika Diah Ayu Prameswari 126203202146 English Education Department Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training State Islamic University of Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung ABSTRACK The Javanese tribe is one of the tribes in Indonesia which is rich in its unique traditions and culture. Javanese culture is often referred to as symbolic culture. The traditions that were born in Java are thick with symbols that contain cultural, aesthetic, ethical, and moral values. One of the most interesting Javanese traditions is the wedding ceremony. Javanese traditional wedding ceremonies have a series of processions and rituals that are sacred and filled with philosophical meaning. Basically, Javanese traditional marriage ceremony processions adhere to standard rules which are cultural heritage originating from the Yogyakarta and Surakarta palaces. Both the Yogyakarta and Surakarta palaces have three stages in holding a wedding ceremony. The first stage is the procession before the wedding; the procession for the day of the wedding; and the procession after the wedding. Keywords: Javanese Marriage; Ceremony; Philosophy 1. INTRODUCTION Marriage is an inner and outer bond between a man and a woman as husband and wife with the aim of forming a happy and eternal family (household) based on faith in God Almighty (Tualaka, 2009, p.12). Marriage is a very important event for humans. The basis in a marriage is formed by a natural element from humans themselves which includes the needs of household life, the biological need to give birth to offspring, the need for affection between family members, as well as the need for a sense of brotherhood and the obligation to care for children so that they become the next