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The Star
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Indonesia's Independence Day games: Why we still play these wild Aug 17 traditions
JAKARTA: Every year when we mark Indonesia's Independence Day, neighbourhoods all across the country buzz with the same joyful chaos: kids face-planting into kerupuk (crackers), uncles tripping in sack races and everyone cheering on that one guy trying to conquer the slippery greasy pole. It is easy to laugh, and we should, but there is more to these beloved Independence Day games than just competition and nostalgia. It is worth remembering that these quirky Aug 17 traditions are rooted in grit, struggle and history. Beyond the festivities, they are part of how we remember, reclaim and celebrate our merdeka (freedom). 'These competitive games aren't meaningless,' says Heri Priyatmoko, history lecturer at Sanata Dharma University Jogjakarta, according to kompas. 'They also serve as a collective memory of our nation.' Not all of them were born with the republic. Some actually predate independence, carrying the baggage of colonial rule. 'We only started playing games on the fifth anniversary. Before then, the celebrations did not involve any of these games,' says historian JJ Rizal in an interview with CNN Indonesia. 'But they've been around since the Dutch and Japanese era. We embraced and carried them forward to mark future milestones with merriment.' So as you laugh your way through another tug-of-war or cheer on a climber slipping up a greasy pole, pause for a moment. These games might look like harmless fun, but they are laced with the grit that built our freedom. More than a snack attack: Lomba makan kerupuk It is the most iconic celabration game of all: face first, hands-free and almost always captured with a mid-bite photo. But this cracker-eating contest harkens back to the situation of food scarcity during the 1930s and 1940s. During the economic crisis of that era, kerupuk (crackers) became a survival staple. As prices soared, these crispy crackers were often all people could afford. Contestants race to eat crackers without using their hands, a game rooted in a time when crackers were a survival staple. - Photo: The Jakarta Post/ANN After independence, lomba makan kerupuk morphed into a symbol of resilience. So yes, you are playing for fun, but now you know: you are also chewing through a bit of history. Also, sometimes you do not need a meal to enjoy a good kerupuk. More than a hop and a fall: Balap karung Hopping from one end to the other, balap karung (sack race) is hilarious every time. It might be the only time you can laugh without guilt, watching your uncle faceplant during the race or your neighbour hop away like a furious pocong (a wrapped-in-shroud ghost). But behind the laughter is a story from one of our bleakest periods. Racers leap forward in a sack race, a game rooted in the scarcity of wartime Indonesia. - Photo: The Jakarta Post/ANN During the Japanese occupation, many Indonesians wore gunny sacks instead of proper clothing, according to JJ Rizal's correspondence with Nope, it was not a fashion statement, it was all they had. These sacks have since been repurposed into a game. From grim hardship to slapstick, the reimagination speaks volumes. More than a slippery slope: Panjat pinang Panjat pinang (greasy pole) has always drawn crowds, and gasps. Since its genesis, the slippery pole has always placed absurd prizes at the top. The pole? Slathered in grease to amuse our colonial elites. The people? Determined climbers trying to reach the unattainable. The game first appears in records from Dutch-era festivities. It even made its way into the lineup during the wedding of Mangkunegara VII. 'We don't know who exactly came up with this game,' Heri explains in an article on Kompas. 'But it's a tradition that's long been instilled into our culture.' Captured in 1995, this moment shows climbers navigating a grease-slicked pole in a demanding test of strength, balance and collective effort. - Photo: The Jakarta Post/ANN Sure, back then, it was staged ironically. Today, it is about teamwork, determination and grit. The grease still makes you slip, but the meaning has shifted. More than clunky footwork: Balap bakiak Try walking in perfect sync while strapped to two oversized planks. You will quickly realize that this game is all about unity. Balap bakiak (clog race) is said to be heavily inspired by the Japanese geta (wooden sandals), worn by geisha during performances. When the game took hold in Indonesia, it was not just a test of balance, it became a lesson in coordination. To move forward, we have to move together. It is more than just a game, it is a fitting metaphor for Indonesia's unity. More than a rope: Tarik tambang Tarik tambang (tug of war) has been played in Indonesia since at least 1942, when the Japanese colonial publication Djawa Baroe (New Java) magazine included it in its anniversary celebrations. Back then, it was just for fun. Today, it carries more symbolic weight. More than a game of strength, tug-of-war has symbolised solidarity since the 1940s, carrying the national spirit of gotong royong (communal cooperation). - Photo: The Jakarta Post/ANN It is now less about which side is stronger and more about what it symbolises: our gotong royong (communal cooperation) philosophy. It is about unshakable solidarity and shared effort. As we know now, the rope burns may be real, but so is our togetherness. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
Forbes
3 days ago
- Science
- Forbes
When And Where To See A Six-Planet Parade This Weekend, Last Until 2028
For five consecutive mornings, beginning on Aug. 17, early risers will be treated to the sight of a 'planet parade' in the eastern sky featuring Jupiter, Venus, Mercury and the moon. Uranus and Neptune will also be in the sky but not visible. Best seen about an hour before sunrise, the highlight will be on Wednesday, Aug. 20, when a slender crescent moon will shine very close to a brilliant Venus. From Aug. 17–21, a spectacular 'planet parade' (also called an alignment) features the moon and six planets. getty Venus and Jupiter will shine close to each other above due east, with Mercury becoming visible beneath them closer to sunrise. Saturn is high in the south, with Neptune just above. Uranus is high in the southeast, but like Neptune, requires a telescope to see. You don't need anything but your naked eyes to see this 'planet parade.' Joining the 'planet parade' all week is a waning crescent moon, which will get slimmer on each successive morning and pass close to the Venus, Jupiter and Mercury later in the week. Mars is the solitary planet left in the evening sky, so isn't part of this 'planet parade.' Sunday, August 17: A 'Planet Parade' Stellarium Here's what to expect this week as the 'planet parade' peaks: Sunday, Aug. 17: a 36%-lit crescent moon will shine high above Jupiter, Venus and a low-lying Mercury, with Saturn high in the south. Monday, Aug. 18: the crescent moon slims to 26%-lit, drawing nearer to the planets and glowing with Earthshine — sunlight reflected from Earth onto the lunar surface. Tuesday, Aug. 19: Mercury will be at its highest in the morning sky as the moon wanes to 16%-lit and forms a curve with Venus and Jupiter. Wednesday, Aug. 20: a now 9%-lit crescent moon will appear right next to Venus, with Mercury below and Jupiter above. Thursday, Aug. 21: although it will be tricky to see, a slender 4% moon will be positioned just above the horizon, near Jupiter and Venus, and close to Mercury and the Beehive Cluster of stars. Surprising Fact You'll hear the erroneous term 'planetary alignment' used to describe this event, along with advice about seeing six planets despite only four being visible to the naked eye. Stargazers prefer 'planet parade.' That's because the planets aren't aligned in space — they just appear that way from our vantage point on Earth. The planets are spread out, as they always are, along the ecliptic — the plane of the solar system. If you think of the solar system as a fried egg, with the sun at the center, the planets (including Earth) orbit in a circle around it. If planets were truly aligned, they would all appear as a single point of light as seen from Earth. Alignment in astronomy typically refers to syzygy, such as an eclipse, which does not apply here. Though these planets appear close in the sky, they're separated by staggering distances. Venus is around 118 million miles (190 million kilometers) from Earth this week, while Jupiter is almost five times farther at 548 million miles (882 million kilometers), with distant Saturn 888 million miles (1,430 million kilometers). Mercury, the closest, is about 80 million miles (128 million kilometers) away. A 'planet parade' is purely a line-of-sight phenomenon. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope took this image of Saturn on 22 Sept. 2022. SCIENCE: NASA, ESA, Amy Simon (NASA-GSFC) IMAGE PROCESSING: Alyssa Pagan (STScI) What's Next In The Night Sky The 'planet parade' will come to an end around Aug. 21 when Mercury slips into the sun's glare, leaving only Saturn, Venus and Jupiter on show. However, it will be worth taking a look early on Aug. 31, when Venus will meet the Beehive Cluster in the early morning twilight. The next sky highlight — particularly for those with a backyard telescope — is Saturn at opposition on Sept. 21, 2025. With Earth between Saturn and the sun, the ringed planet will appear at its largest, brightest, and best in 2025, visible from dusk through dawn. Further Reading Forbes 'Planet Parade' Myths Debunked And How To Truly See It — By A Stargazer By Jamie Carter Forbes Your Ultimate Guide To Meteor Showers And The Perseids — By An Expert By Jamie Carter Forbes NASA Urges Public To Leave The City As Milky Way Appears — 15 Places To Go By Jamie Carter
