Fahombo, or stone jumping, is one of the famous and unique traditions of the people on the Nias, North Sumatra island. However, not all regions of Nias have this tradition of stone jumping, with several places in Nias like the Teluk Dalam area that still keep this tradition of stone jumping.

Fahombo is one of the symbols of maturity for the Nias people, especially for boys. From a young age, the boys were trained to jump with ropes. The height of the rope will increase as the boys grow up, and when the Fahombo festival takes place, the young men will have to jump over a stone platform 2 meters high and 60-90 cm wide. The boys will gain momentum, run fast, take the kick as a rock placed on the ground, jump over the stone pedestal without touching it, and have to land perfectly.

Although they have practiced hard, not everyone can jump over the stone pedestal. If a father or grandfather was a brave man and jumped over a pedestal, there must be someone among his descendants who jumped over the rock.

The Fahombo tradition dates back to ancient times, when the tribes were still at war with each other, when the villages were mostly surrounded by bamboo or stone walls two meters high, so jumping over would be a great advantage to the people of Nias.

However, at this time, the tradition of rock dancing was no longer used in preparation for war but was a typical ritual of the Nias community. Young people who pass the stone are considered physically mature, so they are allowed to get married.

According to travellingto.asia, learnindonesian.education