CUSTOM BEHIND MOON ECLIPSE IN TIMOR-LESTE

“Hey.. go to outside! find out why people make sound with hit electricity pipe” my voice shouted from bathroom while thinking maibey a riot happened in my neighbourhood, after view minutes there more noisy sounds made me more sure that two group of young man are throwing stones each other. But than my cousin sister shouted back to me in Tetun Language “fulan mate”, fulan is moon and mate is dead so it’s mean moon is dead, but literally translate to English is moon eclipse. Moon eclipse around 07.33 PM in October 08th 2014 .

Wrote Pedro Carrascalao on picture that his upload on Facebook: "Blood Moon view from my house..
Today 8th October, 2014. 19:50. Golgota, Comoro, Dili, Timor Leste"

Why very noisy when moon eclipse happened in Timor-Leste? It’s a custom and it’s a belive of Timorese. We Timorese, belive when people make noisy with hit the iron, board, zinc, galoon or anything that can make sound can tell the message to heaven that people in world still a live and need moon bright from heaven. This what my mum tell me when I was a kid and I still keep until now.

Same noisy also will happen when sun eclipse and earthquake, but when earthquake people not just hit things to make noisy but also they will scream. The noisy and scream when earthquake are the message to God in heaven that people still a live in world. So, God not shut down the world because if not hear noisy than God presume that people in world already dead and he will shut down the world than it’s mean the end of the world.

My cousins & neighbor hit zinc to make sound when moon eclipse. Tasi-Tolu, Dili. October 08th 2014

Noisy and hit thing to make sounds it's fun thing to do for Timorese children

The noisy from hit things as a message. Message not just to heaven but also to people in the world. When some riot happen in the street also will noisy, the objective is to tell or give message to others people in home that something riot is happen right now. Also when people pursuing a or group of stealer also will noisy from hit the things and screaming of people it’s mean they need your help to catch the stealer or just telling you that be aware with stealer.

The day after moon eclipse, foreigner office friend of mine ask me why last night so noisy and why people hit things to make noisy and I explain to him about our custom, it’s seem so interesting to him and he explain “in my country Uganda when moon eclipse people just whatch, take picture than upload in social media”. It’s remind me a story of UN ( United Nations ) Mission people when moon eclipse in Timor-Leste around 2001-2004 ( I forget the exactly year ) that telling by my relative that work with UN Mission on that time and also my story side. Here the story, “ that was full moon on that night around 07 pm, we were preparing for dinner at home than suddenly we ran outside because it’s very noisy outside, because people hit electricity pole from iron very loud in the street and our neighbors hit drum and zinc. Finally we know that moon eclipse is happening now that’s why they make noisy, than after some minute UN Police car are running very fast go around in street and in neighbourhood and I saw UN Police talk with people in the road. This is what happened from my story side but there are another story happened in other side of Dili city, many of UN Mission membesr are foreingner that come from many different countries and don’t know yet Timorese custom very well about noisy when moon eclipse happen. So, they very shocked with the noisy and people behaviours like hit things and hit the electricity pole in the street. Because on that time Timor-Leste security is unstabill and UN take control the security they so confuse to what happening and how to control. Some UN member call my relative and said “ halo Paula.. others friends are crying now because they scare with the noisy that people do, why? What’s happened? It’s like emergency situation, it’s happened?” My relative answer “it’s ok.. it just custom of Timorese when moon eclipse”  . Also so many complain from UN Mission member on radio about the noisy and UN Police was frustrated.”

This time Timorese still hit things to make noisy when moon eclipse but also Timorese do new thing. What is that? The answer is selfie with moon eclipse than upload on Facebook :) .

Dili, October 2014

                                                                                                                                             Mariani VK.