Labuhan ceremony is one of the traditional ceremonies which since the days of the Islamic Mataram kingdom in the XIII century until now are still regularly held and still influential in the social life of the population in the Special Province of Yogyakarta. The community believes that the ceremony of labuhan traditionally will foster the safety, peace and welfare of society and the state. Although the one who held the labuhan ceremony was the palace, but in the implementation on the field, the people also participated. The community feels that they have the traditional ceremony and consider the ceremony of labuhan a traditional need that needs to be preserved.

One of the court ceremonies carried out by the Sultan since Sultan Hamengkubuwono I was a traditional ceremony which was called a harbor in Javanese terms. This ceremony is usually carried out at a place far apart. Each place has its own historical background so at. each of these places is necessary and worthy of a labuhan ceremony

The first place is Dlepih, also called Dlepih Kahyangan, located in Tirtomoyo District, Wonogiri Regency, Central Java Province.
The second place is Parangtritis, to the south of the city of Yogyakarta, on the edge of the Indonesian Ocean (South Sea).
The third place is on the peak of Mount Lawu, on the border of Surakarta and Madiun, which limits the area of ​​Central Java and the region of East Java.
The fourth place is on the summit of Mount Merapi, the location of which includes the Sleman region, the Special Province of Yogyakarta.
The labuhan ceremony is a gift or offering (pisungsung-Jw) carried out in certain places, in accordance with the belief that in that place there has been an important event concerning the ancestors of the king
The ceremony of giving or offering associated with the ancestors and the spirits is clearly an ancestral cult, animism and dynamism. In practice the ceremony was then combined with elements of the Islamic religion, namely accompanied by prayer and prayer. There are spells that are pronounced in Arabic and according to applicable rules. There are also those that are recited in mixed sentences between Javanese and Arabic.
 This religious harbor ceremony can only be carried out on orders and in the name of the king as the head of the kingdom, head of government and stakeholders of the palace. The stages of preparation carried out in the palace, everything was done only by relatives, assisted by courtiers. In the implementation outside the palace until the place of ceremony labuhan, it must be with strict protocol procedures. The key clerk is the executor acting on behalf of the king. He was also a courtier who was appointed from the local community. The key clerk is given the right to own objects that have been anchored, but often these objects are contested by the caretaker assistants.
According to the Kraton tradition of the Sultanate of Yogyakarta, the harbor ceremony was officially carried out in the context of the following events:

 Coronation of the Sultan;
Commemoration of the Anniversary of the Sultan’s Coronation called “Tingalan Panjenengan” or “Tingalan Dalem Panjenengan” or “Tingalan Jumenengan”;
Commemoration of “windo” the birthday of the coronation of the Sultan. “Windon” means every eight years.
Aside from the three frameworks of the above events, the labuhan ceremony can also be held to fulfill a certain purpose from the Sultan, for example if the Sultan married his sons.

A few days before the ceremony of the labuhan ceremony, Sri Sultan handed over nail clippings and hair cutouts to be planted in certain places on Parangtritis beach. The former Sri Sultan’s clothes must be planted in that place.
Other objects and materials prepared for: incense, traditional cosmetics, ‘konyoh’ perfume, cigarettes fragrant, mats, trays, powder incense (cupu), coffers (kampek), currency and several places specifically for perfume, or incense powder. In addition to these objects there are still many other completeness objects that accompany the preparation of a labuhan ceremony, such as offerings and palace heirlooms.

Not surprisingly, this rare traditional ceremony attracts many tourists to watch it. The solemn atmosphere of the ceremony, the courage of the caretaker aides carrying out the harbor in the ocean and the crowds of the people fighting over the objects of the harbor, increasingly making the harbor program interesting to witness.
The harbor ceremony not only fulfills the provisions of a highly upheld tradition, but also a tourist attraction that is highly admired by tourists.

reference : https://kotaklasik.wordpress.com/upacara-labuhan-keraton-yogyakarta/