This is when people gather just enjoy the night.
August 17th is my country’s independence day. And there’s an event that held the day before, which was on August 16th at night, called Tirakatan. According to this article, this tradition has deep roots in Javanese culture. However, I believe there are several regions outside Java that also observe this tradition, but adapt it to their own cultures too. From what I’ve read, the word “tirakatan” itself comes from the Javanese language, meaning "to pray or reflect" with devotion.
Tirakatan activities can vary from region to region, but generally, people gather in one place to pray and eat together, sometimes even there’s a competition. This article states that the purpose of Tirakatan is to reflect on the struggles of the nation's heroes and foster gratitude for the independence that has been achieved.
Last year, when this event was held, I lived out of town. My new neighborhood actually held one as well, but I was on the train on my way home. So I couldn't attend both in my new neighborbood nor in my hometown. I remember felt a little disapointed because four of my childhood friends gathered and sent me their photo while I was still on the train. This year, I currently stayed at home, so I was able to participate again. Unfortunately, some of my friends have moved away from our village and even gotten married, so it feels like this event will never be the same again.
However, I still took the time to witness the joy and warmth of this event. Before it began, the housewives had gathered to prepare the food to be served to the residents. I don't know who cooked this time, but it all looked delicious. The way the food was distributed varies every year. Sometimes they prepared the food in large containers and each person can take it just enough for themselves. However, sometimes that doesn't work out so well, so this year they served it individually.
This activity began with an opening ceremony, singing the national anthem together, and reciting a prayer. After that, there was a prize distribution for the children who won the competition. Independence Day competitions are usually held on the weekend before August 17th, so Tirakatan also became the highlight for the children to receive their prizes. The prizes were usually useful items for the children, such as lunch boxes, water bottles, stationery, and books. If we had a bigger budget, we could also give them clothes or watches.
My friends and I were the ones who handled all of these in the past, from preparing for the competitions to purchasing the prizes, since every region has its own youth community. But when we started working and had personal responsibilities, some of us couldn't (or simply didn't want to) handle it anymore.
This year, what caught my attention were these medals. I don't think my friends and I had ever come up with an idea like this before haha. The medals were made of candy and chocolate coins, and they were so cute. This year, most of the contest organizers were housewives. I just wondered who made these medals, because that means they really put in the time and effort.
After the prize distribution, the moment I'd been waiting for arrived: eating!🤣 I didn’t join the crowd since I was accompanying my little sister at home because her legs was hurting. But this is what we got: the signature “Urap” (traditional Indonesian salad) is always the choice served at events like this. Urap is vegetables with grated coconut seasoned with spices. I personally really like this side dish. Accompanied by white rice, grilled chicken with spices, tempeh, and tofu, it was delicious.
After eating together, the activity usually ends with karaoke or something similar. But this year, my village held a prize distribution using coupons. So before the event started, residents could pick a coupon with a random number of their choice. Then, at the end of the event, the organizers randomly drew a coupon number and awarded the corresponding prize. What surprised me was that the prizes were quite nice and not cheap. There were blenders, stoves, even fans, if I heard correctly (because I was exhausted and chose to stay in my room all night).
In case you're wondering, the money used to buy these prizes probably came from the residents' as well. Before Tirakatan, each family typically spends around 50,000 rupiah to fund the event, which is about $3. While that might seem like a small price to some, it's sometimes a bit much for us😁 So no wonder why they're holding this prize-giving this year. Perhaps the village administrators also want to demonstrate transparency in the community's contributions.
That's it about Tirakatan, a tradition to celebrate the independence day of my country. How about yours?