It Might Be Different, but Our Spirit Will Never Fade
Happy Independence Day! August 17th has always been a special day for all Indonesian people. Precisely starting on August 17th, 1945, that day was declared as Indonesia’s Independence Day. This means that till today, Indonesia has been established for 76 years as a sovereign unitary state.
In the celebration, each region has its own characteristics. In West Java, many people celebrate Independence Day with a parade, they name it as Pawai Jampana. In its implementation, there are several people who carry a stretcher containing various kinds of creativity from the local community. In South Kalimantan, precisely in the city of Banjarmasin, people always celebrate Independence Day with rowing competition. Moreover, in Palembang, South Sumatra, the people also has a tradition called Telok Abang. It is a hard-boiled egg that is coloured red and then plugged into various toys in the form of miniature boats, airplanes, or cars made of wood or cardboard. Colourful paper is also added to make it more interesting.
In addition to those traditions above, there are also many other competitions that are commonly held by the people in celebrating Independence Day. Such as cooking competitions, fashion shows, sports, marathons, and so on. Obviously, with the addition of various kinds of uniqueness that distinguishes them from competitions on usual days.
Unfortunately, the celebration of Indonesia’s Independence Day this year is a bit different from the previous years. Along with the ongoing pandemic situation and the implementation of Community Activities Restrictions Enforcement (CARE), many officials have urged people to stay at home and celebrate Independence Day with their families. This was conveyed directly by the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Tito Karnavian, who prohibits the public from holding any competition or outdoor celebration this year. This prohibition is also contained in the Circular Letter of the Minister of Internal Affairs Number 0031/4297/Sj03.1/4214/Sj concerning Technical Guidelines for commemorating the 76th Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia in 2021.
The Governor of West Java, Ridwan Kamil, also advised the public to enliven the celebration of the 76th Indonesia’s Independence Day this year with charity, replacing cracker eating competitions, sack races, or areca climbing. This is intended to avoid celebratory activities that have the potential to cause crowds.
Although this year’s celebration of Independence Day is different from the previous ones, what is certain is that the spirit to defend and love the country does not fade among the people. We always bold to face the challenges of life, including this pandemic, and never stop praying to be a better Indonesia and better society than before.
-Northern Ingo-
