Indonesia's Anniversary Celebration Carnival

---

Today marks my country’s Independence Day; August 17, 1945, is a historic milestone for the Indonesian people. On this day, all Indonesians celebrate Independence Day with a variety of fun activities—from the village level all the way to city centers across every corner of Indonesia. August 17, is a solemn occasion marked by the raising of the red-and-white flag, the symbol of our nation. After the ceremony, there were numerous events and competitions, including sports contests and fun challenges—ranging from climbing the areca nut tree, eating crackers, tug-of-war, and many others. Interestingly, before yesterday’s ceremony—specifically on the 16th—a carnival was held in our area. This carnival was organized among schools within the subdistrict, featuring students from kindergarten through high school. The event was quite lively and attended by the entire community.

---

---

---

What is a carnival?

You’re probably wondering what a carnival is, right? A carnival is a parade held on public streets. It features music, costume displays, decorated bicycles, decorated cars, and other cultural performances, with participants wearing unique costumes—usually national costumes or a mix of styles.

Since this is a subdistrict-level event, it’s naturally very lively, though the festivities aren’t as lavish as those in the city center. But believe me, the community is thoroughly entertained by events like this.

---

---

---

At exactly 9 a.m., people were already lining the streets where the parade would later pass. My family and I had intentionally arrived early so we could secure a comfortable spot from which to watch the entire event.

---

---

After waiting for an hour, the event finally began. The parade started moving toward us, led by the drum and bugle corps, who played the “August 17th” song with great enthusiasm. They danced, and their drum major directed them through a brief performance. I was really happy to be there, and everyone was thoroughly entertained. The children playing the music were from a local middle school; they were still very young and looked tired, but they were still so enthusiastic about showcasing their talents.

---

---

---

A procession of decorated cars began to follow; these were the kindergarten students. They were in the cars, dressed in various costumes of their idols. Cheering joyfully and waving to the audience—of course, all of that was under the guidance of their teachers.

---

---

Behind them came the elementary school students—they looked so cute in their various costumes. They played various roles—some as herbal medicine vendors, heroes, presidents, and doctors—and some even wore traditional attire. They all marched in a line down the street, accompanied by decorated bicycles transformed into various characters, ranging from food delivery drones to other creations.

Everyone was very relaxed; even those who looked tired from the scorching heat were cheered on by the spectators.

---

---

In addition to elementary schools, there are also other schools up to the high school level. They wore a variety of outfits—some traditional, others handmade by the students from materials like plastic, used bottles, and woven fabrics. They all looked absolutely beautiful in those outfits.

---

I really enjoyed taking some photos of them—they looked so cute. Simple yet deeply meaningful—it’s a shame I couldn’t capture the full essence of the characters they were portraying. That’s because they were walking, so I had to focus on which character I wanted to capture.

Still, I’m quite satisfied with today—they were all so cool, and their characters were definitely unique. It’s amazing how they could walk such a long distance while still smiling happily.

This was a precious moment—their spirit of patriotism was truly still intact. From getting ready at dawn until noon under the scorching sun, they were still able to flash big smiles at every spectator.

Finally, I also took a photo with one of the unique characters in their carnival parade—a bandit decked out in nylon ropes all over his body and ready to play pranks on the audience. It was so much fun—I’ll definitely be back next year to watch this event again.

---

---

---

---

Hi Readers and Hivers, Thank you for reading and visiting my posts which are 100% copyrighted by myself, my own content, writings and photos, taken with the Samsung Galaxy A72 Smartphone.

---

---

---