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’s 61st year of
Independence
was celebrated throughout the country with widespread public participation and enthusiasm. As required, the official commemoration of the Declaration of Independence was held at the Merdeka Palace in Indonesia’s capital of Jakarta with the hoisting of the copy-original of the first Indonesian red-and-white flag (the original being already too fragile to handle), which was attended by President Yudhoyono, and similar ceremonies were held at the same moment throughout this far-flung archipelago at all Government ministries, governor’s offices, to schools in large cities to remote villages.
Official ceremonies over, local communities gathered in the traditional 17 August fun. These include all kinds of parades, traditional dances, and the traditional national day games, like sack races, eating without touching crackers hung on a rope, tug-of-war; and favourite game of all: communal greased pole climbing to reach awards hung on the top.
Although ceremonies, and flags, buntings and other decorations this year were more modest, yet the sense of celebrating national day together, of communal belonging and of peace and fun reigned throughout the country.
Overseas, in
San Francisco
, Approximately 5,000 people crowded
Union Square
in
San Francisco
last Saturday to celebrate Indonesian Day. Visitors were presented Indonesian traditional music, dance, food and culture in the one-day festival themed "
Islands
, Cultures and Spices of Indonesia."
The annual event is held as part of the Indonesian Independence Day celebration that falls on August 17.
"We started in 1994 and have been doing it since then, except in 1998 and 1999 when there were a lot of demonstrations on social unrest and political problems in ," said Tony Lolong, Chairman of the Indonesian Day Committee. "The event has grown tremendously since we first started and now we have people coming from
Los Angeles
,
Seattle
and
Oregon
just for this," reported the San Francisco Chronicle.
"We wanted to present to
San Francisco
, and at the same time [this festival] has become like a family reunion for Indonesian people in
Northern California
and beyond," he added.
Traditional dances included those from
West Java
, from classical masked dances and dramas that enact the great Hindu epics of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana to contemporary folk dance forms that incorporate martial arts movements. Also presented was the most dynamic and intricate "Saman," dance from Aceh and the
Gayo
Highlands
the northern-most province on
Sumatra
. Performed by the Seattle Samaners, the dance was originally meant to celebrate noble occasions and the birth of the Prophet Mohammad, explained organizers.
"This is the third time for me coming to the event and I think this year's celebration is the best. I liked the dances, especially the one from Aceh," said a visitor from
Sacramento
.
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