Indonesia Public Holidays 2024
The Government of Indonesia announces that there are 15 public holidays every year in Indonesia based on important religious and cultural (historical) dates. Beside official holiday, there are ‘cuti bersama’ (joint holiday) declared nationwide by the government. Joint holidays are provided to prolong holiday weekends (usually given on a Monday or Friday). If a public holiday falls on a Thursday, the ‘cuti bersama’ program encourages your employer to give you the Friday off to have a four-day weekend. According to Article 85 of ‘Act 13 of 2003 Indonesian Manpower/Labour Law’, workers are not obliged to work on public holidays. However, if work is required to be done on public holidays, employers are subject to pay overtime payments to the workers.
New Year’s Eve is celebrated globally because it is the last day of the year, which is December 31. It is based on the Gregorian calendar. Countries usually do a countdown to the New Year, and then there are lots of food and drinks. Indonesia celebrates New Year as well, and they make it fun for everyone.
Indonesia is known for being a diverse nation; while most of its population is not Chinese, the country still celebrates Chinese New Year. It is a significant event in their country, and before the celebrations, some preparations will take place. You will see markets that sell clothing, fireworks, toys, and gifts.
Isra Mi’raj is the celebration of Prophet Muhammad’s journey to heaven. He entered haven after meeting Gabriel while in Mecca. It happened in a cave, and he agreed to God’s wishes to spread the religion of Islam, so the world will know about it. Based on the Quran, Muhammad left the Holy Masjid in Mecca and went to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. From there, Gabriel was his guide to enter God’s kingdom and the heavens.
Balinese has many traditional celebrations and festivals, and like other cultures, the New Year is a time for special activities. There are mindful affairs that make up the Day of Silence. It is in Bali where the largest celebrations are, and in the Balinese Hindu communities across Indonesia.
Celebrating Good Friday happens across the world in different countries, where there are Catholics and Protestants. Good Friday is a commemoration of Jesus’ death on the cross, and what he suffered before that. This tragic turn of events happened before he resurrected on Easter.
It was in 1920 when the people in Indonesia started to honour and commemorate Labor Day. However, the country’s New Order regime made by President Suharto banned it. The reason for this was that the government feared to build a relationship between communism and labour. When he was president, he banned any protest against his decision to not honour Labor Day.
The Buddhist population in Indonesia is only 1%, but Waisak or Vesak is a public holiday because everyone wants to take part in the celebration. Waisak is extremely important for Buddhists because they commemorate the birth, death, and enlightenment of Buddha. It is observed when a full moon occurs in May or June.
Hari Kenaikan Isa Almasih is the day for Christians to commemorate Jesus Christ’s ascension to enter heaven based on their Bible. In order to celebrate this day, Indonesia has officially made it a public holiday. It falls on a Thursday every year.
The meaning of Hari Raya Puasa is the “Day of Celebration,” and this religious festival is very important. This marks the end of Ramadan and a month of fasting. Idul Fitri is Indonesia’s version of Eid al-Fitr, and it is a major holiday in Indonesia. Idul Fitri means “becoming holy again” in Arabic.
The Pancasila Day Holiday was not always celebrated in Indonesia, and they only started four years ago. It is an official public holiday that President Joko Widodo declared in 2016 even though it has been recognized since 1945. The President decided to make the day a public holiday to celebrate and commemorate the speech of President Sukarno.
When people in Indonesia celebrate Idul Adha, all the markets will be closed and it is a day of sacrifice. On this day, people remember a story that is popular among Muslims and Christians, specifically Ibrahim’s eagerness to sacrifice Ismael, his son, to God.
Indonesia was a colony of the Netherlands until 1945. When Japan started to expand, its leaders wanted to support their journey to Independence and drove the Netherlands out of there. The Indonesia Independence Day Holiday is celebrated every August 17. Sukarno and Hatta proclaimed Indonesia’s Independence on this day after they were under the Dutch and Japanese authorities for many years.
The Indonesia Islamic New Year Holiday is about commemorating the foundation of Islam and migration of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina. The prophet was the founder of Islam, and he went back to Mecca after God spoke to him about spreading the word of Islam to the world. This emigration is also called the Hijra.
Prophet Muhammad’s birthday is also known as Mawlid, and its celebration falls on Rabiulawal, which is the Muslim calendar’s 3rd month. Muhammad was originally from Mecca, which is a city in Arabia and he was born in 570 CE.
When it comes to population, India and the United States are the only bigger democracies compared to Indonesia. Indonesia is the world’s 4th most populous country, and they hold election day to choose their country leader. So far, they have had 4 direct presidential elections and 5 parliamentary elections since they became a democracy in 1999.
Even if Indonesia is the most prominent Muslim country, they still honour western festivals, and that includes Christmas. Originally, it was a religious public holiday in Indonesia that was celebrated before the New Year holiday. That was what others think about how they celebrate Christmas, which is not entirely true.
