Nublek Coffee Tradition Signals Start of Temanggung’s 2026 Coffee Harvest

Temanggung – Hundreds of residents of Gunung Gempol village, Jumo district, Temanggung Regency, Central Java, gathered to observe the nublek kopi (wiwit kopi) tradition marking the start of the 2026 coffee harvest. Observations in Temanggung show residents began arriving around the village pendopo with a range of traditional foods such as nasi tumpeng megono, market snacks, and fruits. They then gathered along the village road to follow the sequence of rites handed down through generations. While awaiting other participants, several village children performed traditional dances to entertain residents. The atmosphere of togetherness and closeness coloured the proceedings. After all residents had gathered and sat cross-legged on woven mats, the event began with an opening by the master of ceremonies. The activities continued with the tembung ceremony, namely the conveying of the aims and purposes of the tradition’s implementation. The elder of Gunung Gempol village, Saryono (76), said the tradition has been carried out by local people for decades as a form of gratitude to God Almighty for the produce of the earth. “This tradition is an expression of gratitude to God for the fertility of the land, the abundance of water resources, and good harvests. It also serves as a prayer that this year’s coffee harvest will run smoothly and yield abundantly,” he said. According to him, the tradition also serves as a means to strengthen social relations among residents while preserving ancestral culture to remain intact amid changing times. “If traditions like this are not safeguarded, younger generations may forget their own village culture. Therefore we continue to involve children and young people in every customary activity,” he said. The event then continued with a joint prayer led by the local cleric and attended by residents with reverence. After the prayer, residents laid out food brought from home on banana leaves to be shared.