One Saturday this month, ETA Daniel Knoll was invited to his school Makan Bajamba ceremony. This event is held this time every year as a senior’s farewell lunch. The senior female students dress in beautiful traditional Minangkabau dresses, while the boys wear baju Koko (collarless loose shirt), a sarung, batik pants, and sandals.

Their parents prepare food the night before that the students will bring to school. Each class arranges their food on three or four of these large steel plates called Badulangs, which are placed on top of a female student’s head. The class has specific cultural rules to follow as they walk through the school and present the food to the gathering place on the basketball court.

Here, rugs are set down for students to sit and eat their foods, while all the teachers watch and give class scores based on how well they followed the cultural customs attached to this ceremony. And of course, the teachers are invited to join the classes in eating the delicious home-cooked Minangkabau food.

Check out the video of the event

Daniel Knoll is currently teaching at SMAN 2 Payakumbuh, West Sumatra.