PENYAMPAIAN DAN PEWARISAN PESAN PETUAH LELUHUR KEPADA GENERASI MUDA DALAM TRADISI SELAMATAN SATU SURO (Studi Etnografi Komunikasi di Desa Bulukerto)

The Selametan Satu Suro tradition is one of the cultural heritages of the Javanese community that functions not only as an annual ritual but also as a medium of communication for conveying and transmitting ancestral messages and values to the younger generation. Amid rapid technological advancements and social changes, the process of transmitting cultural values faces various challenges due to shifts in how young people understand and interpret traditional practices. This study aims to describe the process of conveying and transmitting ancestral messages to the younger generation through the Selametan Satu Suro tradition in Bulukerto Village, Batu City, and to explain how these messages are understood and interpreted by the younger generation from the perspective of Communication Ethnography.

This research employed a qualitative approach using the Communication Ethnography method. Informants were selected through purposive sampling and consisted of traditional leaders, village elders, organizing committee members, and young people who actively participated in the Selametan Satu Suro tradition. Data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The data were analyzed through data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing based on Dell Hymes' Communication Ethnography framework to understand the communication events occurring throughout the tradition.

The findings reveal that ancestral messages are transmitted through both verbal and nonverbal communication. Verbal communication includes advice, prayers, and moral messages delivered by traditional leaders and village elders, while nonverbal communication is reflected in ritual symbols, ceremonial processions, traditional offerings, and community participation throughout the ritual. The values transmitted include religiosity, gratitude to God, respect for ancestors, mutual cooperation, togetherness, social responsibility, self-control, and concern for preserving local culture. The younger generation interprets the tradition as a means of cultural learning, strengthening local identity, and fostering social relationships. However, differences in interpretation remain due to the influence of modernization, technological development, and the declining use of the Javanese language and traditional cultural symbols. This study concludes that the Selametan Satu Suro tradition continues to function as an effective medium of cultural communication in preserving and transmitting ancestral values to the younger generation while serving as a space for constructing cultural meaning that adapts to contemporary social changes.