[:en]Independence Day[:]

[:en]

         By Jeany Cahyaputra (Grade 10 Level A)

              Indonesian people might be aware of the Independence Day or might even commemorate it every year. However, the question is whether or not they really understand what it is. Independence Day is an annual event which is held in every independent country to celebrate the declaration of its independence.  It is a very important day as on that day the country declares to be freed from any kind of colonialism. It is the day when it gains a full authority to rule its own country without any interference from other countries or having to depend to another country. Each country has its own Independence Day, a different date according to when its independent declaration is.

Independence Day is celebrated once a year in every independent country. Some people might question, “What does one do on the Independence Day?” During the Independence Day, flag raising ceremony is the most common essential activity. In our country, Indonesia, there is a flag raising ceremony held in the National Palace. They even record the flag raising ceremony and broadcast it on the television so that people who do not join the ceremony can watch it along. Besides raising the country’s flag, the participants also sing the national anthem.

Each country has its own way to celebrate its Independence Day. For instance, in France, they celebrate it by establishing a firework party on 13 July at 11 p.m. which they call it as Feu d’artifice.  They also create a music festival to enliven their Independence Day. In the next day, on 14 July, they raise the country’s flag. In Australia, on the Independence Day, there’s a parade where people wear colorful and flashy costumes. They also celebrate the Independence Day by arranging a ship racing and having a surfing competition.

Meanwhile, in Indonesia, we celebrate it by holding different competitions of traditional games. The commonly contested games are balap karung, lomba kelereng, lomba makan kerupuk, lomba panjat pinang, lomba menangkap belut, lomba tarik tambang, lomba sepeda lambat, lomba estafet, lomba bola sarung, lomba perang bantal, and many other attractive and fun competitions. In some area, people also provide time to gather and watch Indonesian heroic movies. It is to remind us of the struggle and spirits of our hero that has made Indonesia an independent country.

Is Independence Day really important? Do people have to celebrate it? From my point of view, it is necessary to commemorate a country’s Independence Day. It is a day when our country declares to be independent. The struggle of our heroes to free our country from colonialism is not easy. It needs great effort and takes a long time. Without the effort of our heroes, we might still have been colonized. I think the celebration of Independence Day is important so that we always remember what our heroes have done for our country. They have sacrificed their lives. We must continue the effort of our heroes to make this country grow better, and ensure not to waste the freedom that our heroes have fought for us.

In conclusion, Independence Day is important to remind us of the hard times our country has gone through. If our country was still colonized, people couldn’t even receive proper rights. Now that we have received our rights, let’s make use of them properly. Let’s continue the effort of our heroes to make this country a peaceful and developed country.  Happy Independence Day, everybody![:]