Sedekah Bumi Tradition as a Manifestation of Collective Wellbeing: Sustaining Cultural Wisdom in the Globalization Era

Abstract

The globalization era drives cultural transformation, shifting orientations of identity, spirituality, and social relations, resulting in the reduction of local values due to the homogenization of modernity. However, the Sedekah Bumi tradition demonstrates cultural resilience by maintaining ancestral wisdom as the basis for community wellbeing. This study aims to analyze the Sedekah Bumi tradition from the perspective of collective wellbeing and to elucidate its manifestations as an embodiment of collective wellbeing in the era of globalization. The research employed a descriptive qualitative approach with data collected through Focus Group Discussions (FGD) and Systematic Literature Review (SLR). FGDs involved community leaders, tradition practitioners, village officials, arts and culture academics, and youth in Lidah Kulon Village, Surabaya, while SLR was conducted to confirm and expand the findings. The results indicate that the Sedekah Bumi tradition affirms the vitality of cultural wisdom amid globalization-driven cultural homogenization. Through rituals, symbols of intergenerational participation, and the embedded cultural wisdom in ritual processes, Sedekah Bumi functions as a mechanism to maintain human–nature–God harmony in alignment with collective identity. Findings show that Sedekah Bumi is not merely ceremonial but serves social, spiritual, ecological, and educational functions in promoting collective wellbeing. In conclusion, Sedekah Bumi manifests as a form of collective wellbeing that integrates social, spiritual, ecological, and economic dimensions, demonstrating that local wisdom remains a source of cultural resilience and moral direction for society under global pressures.