Indonesians celebrate their nation's Independence Day through various activities. Students attend flag raisings and people participate in iconic competitions - all in cheers from the struggle to liberation from over 350 years of colonization.
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August 17... early in the day, activities start to kick off. Students and public service staff prepare at school or at the office for the flag raising. In Indonesia, flag raising attendance is usually obligatory. All are in neat uniforms and hats. Meanwhile, people at home prepare red and white flags on poles of all sizes and place them in front of their houses.
Communities have other ways to show their independent happiness, such as by holding various competitions such as areca pole climbing and cracker eating contests, sack races and tug-o-war.
TO THE TOP!
The contest that is the most interesting is the panjat pinang. Panjat pinang involves climbing a 7-9 meter areca pole that has a number of prizes hung at the top. The pole has been specially prepared by smearing oil and grease on it, which guarantees an interesting sight as the people fight to climb to the top.
Anybody is invited to participate in reaching the hanging prizes. Climbing the pole is not an easy task. Skill is one factor, but cooperation is what is needed to get the job done. It takes five people or more depending on the height of the pole. The first person holds the pole tightly, then the second climbs on his comrade, standing on the first person's shoulder and likewise securing his grip on the pole. The third person does the same, then the others follow until the last person is able to touch and grab the prizes. There are various kinds of prizes attached to the pole, such as leather bags, a radio set, or even a bike. The 'finisher' will remain on the top of the pole and throw down all the prizes, one by one to share with his team.
No one knows the game's origin exactly. But some Chinese Indonesians believe that it came from their traditional festivity called the Festival of Ghosts. Based on Chinese tradition, the thirteenth day of the seventh month in the Chinese lunar calendar is referred to as a day of ghosts, and the seventh month in general is regarded as the ghost month. They believe that during that period ghost and spirits, including those of the deceased, come out from the nether realm.
Among the many attractions during the Festival is something similar to the areca pole climbing. This seventh month often comes around in August or September. Chinese historians have tried to relate this Independence Day feature with the Chinese festival, also due to its occurrence during the same timeframe, which in time became more known as a part of the Independence Day celebration. This hypothesis is not entirely proven, but the influence of Chinese culture in Indonesia indeed began in the earlier centuries.
This panjat pinang sport can be found in Bali, usually in parks and at around noon, as the oil gets really slippery under the sunlight and promises an interesting game. Last year a competition was held on Kuta Beach and was joined in by many foreigners. However, only the skilled Indonesian climbers came down victorious.
PEACE, NOT WAR...
Another popular game is the tug-o'war. In Indonesia it is called tarik tambang or 'rope pull', a demonstration of strength by two opposing groups, often between two departments within a company or institution. And at the center of this 'war' is the thick rope.
There is no specific time and place in history which defines the origin of the game, but the contest of rope pulling certainly originates from ancient ceremonies and rituals. Evidence has been found in countries like Egypt, India, Myanmar, and New Guinea. Tug-o-war in Indonesia might have been brought in by merchants from India in the earlier centuries.
MUNCH AWAY!
This unique game could only be a native Indonesian favorite, as it uses the Indonesia's all-time favorite deep-fried prawn cracker snack known as Krupuk, which is also a popular snack in other parts of Southeast Asia and in China.
The game organizers hang many krupuk on a string, and contestants 'race' in front of the hanging krupuk with hands tied behind their backs. Each tries to eat as many of the krupuk as possible as soon as the game starts, and the first one who finishes them all, wins the game. Simple as it is, but the game surely offers a whole lot of cheers and jeers as the dangling line moves unsteadily with all the participants in motion. Old and young, adults and children, all join in the games together.
A BIT OF HISTORY
August 17 is an important day for Indonesia, as 63 years ago Indonesia's founding father Soekarno read out the 'Proklamasi' Kemerdekaan' text on Pegangsaan Timur Street in Jakarta on August 17, 1945. Soekarno was chosen for this declaration because he was the head of the Preparatory Committee for Indonesia's Independence (PPKI). Now on that exact location stands the proclamation monument, and the name of the road has been changed to Jalan Proklamasi.
Indonesia has a long history. The first and the oldest kingdom recorded on a prasasti or stone inscription is Kutai in East Kalimantan. Along the way, many kingdoms have come and gone. The famous Sriwijaya of Southern Sumatra was hailed in the seventh century as one of the biggest kingdoms of its era. It was then followed by the Majapahit kingdom that covered current Indonesia and Malaysia. This Hindu kingdom saw its fall sometime in the 15th Century and was replaced by the Muslim kingdoms.
The Dutch arrived in Java in the 16th Century, not long after the Spaniards and Portuguese landed in the eastern part of Indonesia. They came for spices, which later led to political expansion. The Dutch often interfered and influenced the rule of kings in Indonesia.
Since most weren't on the same side as the citizens, people began to oppose the Dutch. Teuku Umar in Aceh, Pattimura in Ambon, and Diponegoro in Yogyakarta were some of the leading figures in the struggle. Now their names have been immortalized as names of streets in many cities throughout Indonesia.
In 1908, an organization named Budi Utomo was created as a momentum of the national movement. In 1942, Japan won over the Allied Forces and briefly replaced the Dutch as rulers in Indonesia. But finally in 1945, after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrendered, and Indonesia used this status to announce its independence. ■
Text by Ni Luh Dian Purniawati, photos by Riyan
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