Stefany Emily Limanto, XI MIPA 1, Level A

Independence day is a very important day that is greatly celebrated by citizens across the country of Indonesia to remind us of all the blood that was spilled for the sake of our freedom. Citizens spend this day in various different ways such as having flag ceremonies and partaking in competitions. This is how my family and I spend it.

My family is not the most patriotic, but we do celebrate this special day. Nearing this day, you can see red and white decorations popping up here and there. My family do not decorate much, but we do put up a flag. Back when I was younger, my older sister and I used to participate in competitions held in the park near our house. A few common games I still remember are the sack race, pole climbing, and eating crackers without using our hands. We do not do that anymore now, as the competitions are mainly targeted for little children. However, we still come to watch, usually with the whole family, just to enliven the event. It's also a great chance to meet up with neighbors and possibly make some new friends. My older sister and I celebrate independence day at school as well. This event usually takes place a few days after the actual independence day. The school holds an annual all-school flag ceremony which all students from primary school to senior high school participate in. In this ceremony, many students, including myself, take part in the colour guard. Apart from the flag ceremony, the junior and senior high school student council prepares numerous games for us, such as tug of war, and various other games they come up with, making this celebration enjoyable and exciting. Along with the games, prizes are often prepared for the winners to increase the competition between students. I think it is a great way to encourage all students to engage in honoring independence day.

To me, every independence day is celebrated as a reminder of how much our country and its people have been through, as well as how much they have achieved. Independence was no doubt a huge milestone for our country. Furthermore, it is undeniable that it was incredibly hard to obtain. Even so, the people managed to find victory after constant battles of blood and sweat. Therefore, we must make sure that none of that goes to waste and study hard to improve our country.