“Meci” is the name given to the Palolo worm in the Fataluku language, spoken in the Lautém municipality on the southern coast of Timor-Leste. The Meci festival is a crucial traditional event for the Fataluku community, deeply intertwined with their indigenous calendar, environmental practices, and ritual feasting.  

Here’s a breakdown of its significance:

• Biological Event: The Meci festival is directly linked to the spawning of the Palolo worm. These segmented marine worms emerge to reproduce along the nearshore of Loré.
• Agricultural Calendar: The timing of the Meci emergence is a key environmental marker that helps the local community track seasons and plan their agricultural activities.
• Cultural Significance: The Meci festival is a traditional celebration for the Fataluku people. It involves the collection of the Meci worms’ sexual segments during their spawning.
• Culinary Use: The collected Palolo worms are cooked and consumed in various ways by the local community.  
• Comparison to Other Cultures: The Meci festival has parallels with similar Palolo worm harvesting events in other parts of the Western Pacific, such as the Bau Nyale ceremony on Lombok, Indonesia.  
• Intangible Cultural Heritage: There are efforts to research and conserve the “Meci” tradition in Timor-Leste as an Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).  

In summary, “Meci” in the context of Timor-Leste is much more than just a worm. It represents a vital link between the environment, the agricultural practices, and the unique cultural traditions of the Fataluku people in the Lautém region. The emergence and harvesting of the Meci worms are celebrated through a significant annual festival.