Independence Day (Indonesia)

Independence Day
	National flag hoisting ceremony held in Merdeka Palace in Jakarta
Official name	Hari Kemerdekaan
Observed by	Indonesians
Type	National
Significance	Marks the declaration of independence of Indonesia
Date	17 August
Next time	17 August 2021
Frequency	Annual

Independence Day (Indonesian: Hari Kemerdekaan, colloquially known as Tujuhbelasan, "the Seventeenth") is a national holiday in Indonesia commemorating the anniversary of the Indonesia's Proclamation of Independence on 17 August 1945.[1] It was made a national holiday by then-President Sukarno in 1953.

Ceremonies and festive events are held throughout the country to celebrate this national day, including flag hoistings, local games and neighbourhood competitions, patriotic and cultural parades.[2] Discounts are offered by participating shopping centres or businesses.[3]

On this day, all Indonesian national televisions broadcast the National Independence Day Ceremony live from the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. Televisions also often air Indonesian patriotic songs, nationalistic-themed films, advertisements, and talkshows.

The obligation to hoist the flag

The gapura gate in residential area in Jakarta, decorated in patriotic colours to commemorate independence day

Republic of Indonesia Law Number 24 of 2009 concerning the National Flag, National Language, and State Symbols and National Anthem article 7 paragraph 3, obliges the flying of the Red and White flag for every Indonesian citizen in their homes, and also at public institutions, office buildings, educational institutions, public transportation facilities, and private transportation in the country, as well as Indonesian diplomatic offices abroad, on 17 August.[4]

Flag hoisting ceremony

Flag hoisting ceremony held in a school

A national formal flag hoisting ceremony is held at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, hosted by the current Indonesian President to reenact the declaration of independence proclaimed by Sukarno in 1945, held in 10.00 a.m, and is broadcast nationwide on radio and television. Certain distinguished guests and VVIPs are invited to attend, including ambassadors and diplomatic guests, former Indonesian presidents, vice presidents and ministers, prominent figures in Indonesian politics, the economy and business, cultural figures including artists and celebrities, and veterans. The declaration is read on this day in public by a representative of the legislative branch. A national flag lowering ceremony is held later on in the afternoon at the grounds of the palace.

Other than the national ceremony held in Merdeka Palace, the similar flag hoisting ceremonies are also held in government institutions, offices, and schools.

Tujuhbelasan celebrations

Panjat Pinang competition to celebrate the tujuhbelasan

Independence Day is an important public holiday in Indonesia, and is celebrated by Indonesian people in their cities and villages, and also abroad. Colloquially known as tujuhbelasan or 17-an which means "seventeenth" in Indonesian, it is a joyous celebration, as after the flag ceremony in the morning, in the afternoon people usually organise various games and competitions for children and adults.

Children participating in competition to celebrate the tujuhbelasan

Traditional games and competition usually held during tujuhbelasan are:

Krupuk-eating race
Panjat pinang (climbing greasy pole of pinang tree)
Marble in spoon race
Gunny sack race
Bottle fishing
Wooden clog race
Musical chair or fight over seats
Tug of war
Coin biting
Pillow fight
Hitting the kendi terracotta jar blindfolded, similar with piñata
Slow bicycling
Balloon bursting
Balloon dance
Searching for coins in flour
Orange dance
Inserting thread into needle race
Colouring competition
Catching the eel race

Karnaval Kemerdekaan

Independence parade carnival in Bantul, Yogyakarta

On Independence Day, parades or carnivals, take place on streets in cities and villages across the nation. They might take the form of a modest carnival, organised by local people, where children and sometimes adults wear patriotic clothes, or traditional ethnic costumes. Some larger parades might be held and organised by provincial, regency or municipal governments, staged in main thoroughfares of cities.

The national main parade called does not usually take place on 17 August, but on the Sunday morning following the anniversary. The parade and carnival usually feature marching bands, decorative floats, patriotic parades and cultural carnivals featuring traditional costumes of various ethnic groups of Indonesia. They usually start in Merdeka Square by the National Monument, parading through capital main avenues; Thamrin and Sudirman avenues, passing Selamat Datang Monument and the Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex.

In recent years however, the main national carnival has not been staged in the national capital, but in provinces with regional cities taking turns hosting this national event. In 2017, for example, the national independence carnival was staged in Bandung, West Java.[5]

Year	Date	Location	Theme
2015	22 August	Pontianak	Hutan (Forest)
2016	21 August	Danau Toba	Air (Water)
2017	26 August	Bandung[6]	Pegunungan dan Kota (Mountain and City)
2018	not held
2019	18 August	Jakarta[7]	—

Theme

Year	Anniversary	Theme
2005	60th	Dengan Semangat Proklamasi 1945, Kita Perkokoh Persatuan Dan Kebersamaan Menuju Indonesia yang Aman, Adil, Demokratis, dan Sejahtera. (With the Spirit of the 1945 Proclamation, We Strengthen Unity and Togetherness Towards a Safe, Fair, Democratic, and Prosperous Indonesia.)
2006	61st	Dengan Semangat Proklamasi 17 Agustus 1945, Kita Tingkatkan Rasa Kebangsaan dan Kebersamaan untuk Membangun Indonesia yang Bersatu, Aman, Adil, Demokratis, dan Sejahtera. (With the Spirit of the Proclamation of 17 August 1945, We Increase the Sense of Nationalism and Togetherness to Build a Unified, Safe, Fair, Democratic, and Prosperous Indonesia.)
2007	62nd	Dengan Semangat Persatuan dan Etos Kerja, Kita Percepat Pertumbuhan Ekonomi dan Penanggulangan Kemiskinan untuk Mewujudkan Keadilan dan Kesejahteraan Bagi Rakyat Indonesia. (With the Spirit of Unity and Work Ethics, We Accelerate Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction to Materialize the Justice and Prosperity for the Indonesian People.)
2008	63rd	Dengan Semangat Proklamasi 17 Agustus 1945, Kita Lanjutkan Pembangunan Ekonomi Menuju Peningkatan Kesejahteraan Rakyat, serta Kita Perkuat Ketahanan Nasional Menghadapi Tantangan Global. (With the Spirit of the Proclamation of 17 August 1945, We Resume Economic Development Towards the Enhancement of People's Welfare, and We Strengthen National Resilience in Facing Global Challenges.)
2009	64th	Dengan Semangat Proklamasi 17 Agustus 1945, Kita Tingkatkan Kedewasaan Kehidupan Berpolitik dan Berdemokrasi serta Percepatan Pemulihan Ekonomi Nasional Menuju Indonesia yang Bersatu, Aman, Adil, Demokratis, dan Sejahtera. (With the Spirit of the Proclamation of 17 August 1945, We Increase Maturity in Political and Democratic Lives and Acceleration of National Economic Recovery Towards a Unified, Safe, Fair, Democratic, and Prosperous Indonesia.)
2010	65th	Dengan Semangat Proklamasi 17 Agustus 1945, Kita Sukseskan Reformasi Gelombang Kedua, untuk Terwujudnya Kehidupan Berbangsa yang Makin Sejahtera, Makin Demokratis, dan Makin Berkeadilan. (With the Spirit of the Proclamation of 17 August 1945, We Succeeds the Second Wave of Reformation, to Materialize a More Prosperous, More Democratic, and More Equitable National Life.)
2011	66th	Dengan Semangat Proklamasi 17 Agustus 1945, Kita Tingkatkan Kesadaran Hidup dalam ke-Bhinneka-an untuk Kokohkan Persatuan NKRI, Kita Sukseskan Kepemimpinan Indonesia dalam Forum ASEAN untuk Kokohkan Solidaritas ASEAN. (With the Spirit of the Proclamation of 17 August 1945, We Enhance Life Awareness in the Diversity to Strengthen the Unity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, We Succeed Indonesia's Leadership in the ASEAN Forum to Strengthen ASEAN Solidarity.)
2012	67th	Dengan Semangat Proklamasi 17 Agustus 1945, Kita Bekerja Keras untuk Kemajuan Bersama, Kita Tingkatkan Pemerataan Hasil-hasil Pembangunan untuk Keadilan Sosial Bagi Seluruh Rakyat Indonesia. (With the Spirit of the Proclamation of 17 August 1945, We Work Hard for Common Progress, We Improve Equitable Development Results for Social Justice for all of Indonesian People.)
2013	68th	Mari Kita Jaga Stabilitas Politik dan Pertumbuhan Ekonomi Kita Guna Meningkatkan Kesejahteraan Rakyat (Let's Keep Our Political Stability and Economic Growth to Improve People's Welfare)
2014	69th	Dengan Semangat Proklamasi 17 Agustus 1945, Kita Dukung Suksesi Kepemimpinan Nasional Hasil Pemilu 2014 Demi Kelanjutan Pembangunan Menuju Indonesia yang Makin Maju dan Sejahtera. (With the Spirit of the Proclamation of 17 August 1945, We Support the Succession of National Leadership (from the) Results of the 2014 Election for the Continuation of Development Towards a More Advanced and Prosperous Indonesia.)
2015	70th	Ayo Kerja (Let's Work)[8]
2016	71st	Kerja Nyata (Actual(ly) Work)[8]
2017	72nd	Kerja Bersama (Working Together)[8]
2018	73rd	Kerja Kita Prestasi Bangsa (Our Work, Achievement of the Nation)[8]
2019	74th	SDM Unggul, Indonesia Maju (Superior Human Resources (make) Indonesia Advances); formerly Menuju Indonesia Unggul (Towards Superior Indonesia)[9]
2020	75th	Indonesia Maju (Indonesia Advances)[10]

References

"Independence Day 2019 and 2020". PublicHolidays.co.id. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (17 August 2016). "Jakartans celebrate Independence Day with parade". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
"Big discounts offered to commemorate Independence Day". The Jakarta Post. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
"Merah Putih Wajib Dikibarkan Di Setiap Rumah pada Hari Kemerdekaan". hukumonline.com (in Indonesian). 16 August 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
DH, Agung. "Karnaval Kemerdekaan Pesona Parahyangan Digelar 26 Agustus". tirto.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 5 April 2019.
Media, Kompas Cyber. "Siang Ini Karnaval Kemerdekaan Digelar di Bandung". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 5 April 2019.
"Kementerian Pariwisata RI | Karnaval Kemerdekaan/Grand Karnaval Indonesia" (in Indonesian). Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia. 21 January 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
Retia Kartika Dewi; Akbar Bhayu Tamtomo (23 July 2018). "Infografik: Logo Peringatan HUT RI di Era Pemerintahan Jokowi". Kompas.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 5 April 2019.
Katriana (24 July 2019). "Tema HUT Ke-74 RI terinspirasi visi Presiden" (in Indonesian). Antara. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
Nur Fitriatus Shalihah (21 January 2020). Sari Hardiyanto (ed.). "Bertema Indonesia Maju, Logo Peringatan HUT Ke-75 Kemerdekaan RI Resmi Diluncurkan". Kompas.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 21 April 2020.

External links

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[1] "Independence Day 2019 and 2020". PublicHolidays.co.id. Retrieved 4 April 2019.

[2] Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (17 August 2016). "Jakartans celebrate Independence Day with parade". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 4 April 2019.

[3] "Big discounts offered to commemorate Independence Day". The Jakarta Post. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2019.

[4] "Merah Putih Wajib Dikibarkan Di Setiap Rumah pada Hari Kemerdekaan". hukumonline.com (in Indonesian). 16 August 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2019.

[5] DH, Agung. "Karnaval Kemerdekaan Pesona Parahyangan Digelar 26 Agustus". tirto.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 5 April 2019.

[6] Media, Kompas Cyber. "Siang Ini Karnaval Kemerdekaan Digelar di Bandung". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 5 April 2019.

[7] "Kementerian Pariwisata RI | Karnaval Kemerdekaan/Grand Karnaval Indonesia" (in Indonesian). Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia. 21 January 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.

[Logo_HUT_RI_2015-2018-8] Retia Kartika Dewi; Akbar Bhayu Tamtomo (23 July 2018). "Infografik: Logo Peringatan HUT RI di Era Pemerintahan Jokowi". Kompas.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 5 April 2019.

[9] Katriana (24 July 2019). "Tema HUT Ke-74 RI terinspirasi visi Presiden" (in Indonesian). Antara. Retrieved 3 August 2019.

[10] Nur Fitriatus Shalihah (21 January 2020). Sari Hardiyanto (ed.). "Bertema Indonesia Maju, Logo Peringatan HUT Ke-75 Kemerdekaan RI Resmi Diluncurkan". Kompas.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 21 April 2020.