SAYACINTAINDONESIA — The celebration of the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia (RI), which falls every August 17, is often colored by various exciting and exciting competitions that invite laughter.
How not, most of the competitions that are held have their own uniqueness that invites laughter from the audience. Call it betel nut climbing competition, sack race, eating crackers, tug of war, thumping pillows and many more. Well, this people’s party was indeed very fun and made the contestants and the audience entertained.
But do you know how these 17 August special competitions began?
According to several stories of people who have experienced life in the early days of this country’s independence, the tradition of celebrating the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia emerged in the 1950s. The people themselves created the competitions to enliven the 5th Indonesian Independence celebration. The previous one didn’t exist.
This is what makes the tradition of the August 17 competition increasingly widespread throughout the country. And keep in mind, that behind the excitement of celebrating the Republic of Indonesia’s Independence Day through these various competitions, there is a philosophy or meaning contained in each type of competition.
The Meaning Behind Each Competition
The engrang competition means that the Dutch, even though they are tall, can also be defeated. Meanwhile, the sack race was reminiscent of the Japanese colonial era, it was very difficult for the Indonesian people to have proper clothes, so that burlap sacks were used as clothes. The symbol of concern about the condition of the Indonesian people during the colonial era was also shown through a cracker eating competition which was used as a food symbol.
Well, if the tug of war competition is the spirit of mutual cooperation, togetherness, and solidarity of the Indonesian people. So, what about the history of the betel nut climbing competition? Citing from the Wikipedia page, Panjat Pinang mentioned that this race became the object of laughter for the Dutch colonialists.
Panjat pinang originated from the Dutch colonial era, where big events such as celebrations, weddings, and so on were often held. The participants were indigenous people who fought over ‘luxury goods’ at that time, usually foodstuffs such as cheese, sugar, shirts. When the natives struggled to compete for the prize, the Dutch people watched and laughed. The gameplay of this game hasn’t changed since long ago.
You can imagine how the condition of the Indonesian people during the colonial period. While most of the Indonesian people struggled to survive, the Dutch colonists actually lived a happy life.
Source/Image: IDNTimes/Unsplash
