Traditional games are an important part of celebrating Indonesian Independence Day each August 17th. Some common traditional games played include panjat pinang (climbing a slippery nut tree to retrieve prizes), tarik tambang (tug of war between teams), makan kerupuk (a cracker eating contest without using hands), balap karung (a sack race), and balap kelereng (a marble carrying race where dropped marbles result in elimination). These games foster a spirit of friendly competition and community participation in commemorating Indonesia's independence from colonial rule.

1. Traditional Games in The
Indonesian
Independence Day

2. Each dated August 17, Indonesia has always
held a commemoration of independence day.
This is an act of gratitude the people of
Indonesia for the grace of God Almighty so that
they could be free from colonialism. Many
things unique things about the celebration of
Indonesian Independence Day. One of which is
in the form of the traditional game. Some
traditional game in Indonesia’s independence
day is:

3. 1. Climbing Nut
(panjat pinang)
climbing nut is a popular
traditional contest in
celebration of Indonesia’s
Independence Day. How to
play them was fairly easy a nut
tree height and trunk covered
by lubricants prepared by the
race committee. At the top of
the tree, prepared various gift.
The participants compete to
earn these gifts by climbing
trees. Hence the slippery tree
trunks (having been given a
lubricant), the tree climbers
often fall. Sense and
cooperation of the participants
to climb the tree trunk is what
usually managed to overcome
slippery tree trunks, and
become interesting attraction
for the audience.

4. 2. Tug of War
( tarik tambang)
Game involves two teams, with
5 or more participants. Two
teams compete on two
opposite sides and all
attendees clutching a rope. In
the middle there is a barrier of
line. Each team trying to pull a
rope as hard as possible so
that opposing teams passing
through a boundary line. Any
team interested in passing the
borders declared lost. Tactics
game lies in the placement of
players, tensile strength and
footstool defense on the
ground. In general, the player
with the greatest strength is
placed at the end of the rope,
to hold the end of a rope or hit
the last time upon withdrawal.

5. 3.Cracker Eating
Contest (Lomba
Makan Kerupuk)
Race committee set up
crackers number of
participants who hung with
ropes side by side to a long
rope. The participants
competed for eating crackers
each, and the winner is the
fastest participant. This is the
challenge of the race,
participants are not allowed to
use hands – in eating crackers,
participants are only allowed to
use his mouth.

6. 4. Sack Race
(Balap Karung)
Sack race is one of the popular
traditional race on the day
Indonesia’s independence. A
number of participants are
required to enter the lower
body into a sack and then race
to the finish line.
Although often criticized
because they encourage a
healthy spirit of competition
and as a rah-rah events, sack
race remains were
encountered, as well as
climbing nut race, clogs, and
eating crackers.
Sack race was also appreciated
by newcomers from abroad
directly involved in this race.

7. 5.Race Marble
(Balap Kelereng)
Each competitor running while
carrying marbles that are
usually put in the spoon that
was taken away who dropped
marbles inside scoop of the
participants declared to have
died and who managed to
convey the finish line then
that’s the winner.