Public Holidays in Indonesia 2021
1 January (Sun): New Year’s Day
22 - 23 January (Sun-Mon): Chinese New Year
18 February (Sat): Isra Mi'raj
22 - 23 March (Wed - Thurs): Bali Hindu New Year
7 April (Fri): Good Friday
21 April (Fri): Lebaran Holiday
22 April (Sat): Hari Raya Idul Firtri
23 - 26 April (Sun-Wed): Lebaran Holiday
1 May (Mon): Labour Day
18 May (Thu): Ascension Day
1 June (Thu): Pancasila Day
2 June (Fri): Waisak Day Holiday
4 June (Sun): Waisak Day
29 June (Thu): Idul Adha
19 July (Wed): Islamic New Year
17 August (Thur): Independence Day
28 September (Thur): Prophet Muhammad's Birthday
25 December (Mon): Christmas Day
26 December (Tue): Christmas holiday
Meaning of each holiday
22 - 23 January: Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year is a public holiday in many countries across East Asia. Chinese Lunar Year usually takes place at sunset on the day of the second New Moon following the winter solstice, which takes place on the 21 December. The Lunar New Year can fall on any day between 21 January until 21 February.
18 February: Isra’ Mi’raj
It is also known as The Prophet's Ascension or the Night Journey. It is celebrated on the 27th day of Rajab, which is the seventh month in the Islamic calendar. It celebrates Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) trip from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension to heaven. According to Islamic beliefs, it happened around the year 621.
22 - 23 March: Bali Hindu New Year
Bali Hindu New Year or also known as Nyepi is a day when the island of Bali turns off all lights and sounds, stops all traffic, desserts all worldly activities, and meditates while complete silence and serenity reign over the entire island.
18 May: Ascension Day
Ascension Day falls on the 39th day after Easter Sunday. It actually commemorates the ascension of Jesus into heaven. This day is also recognised by many as The Feast of the Ascension, The Ascension of Jesus, Ascension Thursday or Holy Thursday.
22 April: Idul Fitri
Idul Fitri is also known as Hari Raya Puasa. Muslims fast for a whole month from the first day of Ramadhan. The date of the first day of Ramadhan differs each year as the Islamic and Gregorian calendar moves differently. Muslims fast as an act of worship and to develop compassion for people in need. Fasting also teaches individuals to learn to be patient and to also break their bad habits.
Indonesia also gives their people additional days off to celebrate and calls it "Lebaran Day".
4 June: Buddha Day
Waisak Day is also known as Buddha Day and is celebrated by Buddhists, which they consider as one of the holiest days in the Buddhist Calendar. Buddha Day commemorates Lord Gautama Buddha's birthday, his enlightenment and his achievement of Nirvana. It usually falls on the Sunday that is nearest to the full moon in May. Sometimes the date may differ in each country celebrating.
1 June: Pancasila Day
Pancasila Day celebrates the birthday of the state ideology of Indonesia, which is known as Pancasila. The ideology was introduced by President Sukarno, who happened to be the first president and the founding father of Indonesia. The ideology consists of five principles, which coincides with the meaning of Pancasila.
29 June: Feast of Sacrifice
The Feast of Sacrifice is also known as Eid al-Adha, Hari Raya Haji, Idul Adha, and many others. This celebration is more significant compared to Hari Raya Puasa or Hari Raya Aidilfitri as it actually lasts for four days. The Feast of Sacrifice is to celebrate the Prophet Abraham's sacrifice for God.
19 July : Islamic New Year
This holiday is known as Awal Muharram or Hijri New Year. Muslims commemorate two events on this day: the first event is the mark of a new year in the Muslim calendar while the other is in remembrance of the first time the historic travel from Mecca to Medina took place.
17 August: Independence Day
On this day in 1945, Indonesia declared independence from the Netherlands. Before that, Indonesia had been a Dutch colony for 300 years. Therefore, Indonesian nationals come together on this day to celebrate independence from being colonised.
28 September: Prophet’s Birthday
Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) Birthday is also known as 'Milad un Nabi' or Maulidur Rasul. Muslims across the world celebrate the birthday of the last Muslim prophet who was the proclaimer of the Qurʾan a central religious text of Islam.
Indonesia School Year Calendar and term dates
Generally, the Indonesia school year begins in July and ends the following June. In between that, there are three periods of school holidays. The first break begins in the second half of December to the first of January while the second break, known as Lebaran Holidays takes place in May for almost two weeks. The final school year end break takes place at the end of June and lasts for about two weeks before the new school year begins. These dates also might vary for different schools and regions in Indonesia. For more information, you can check the academic calendar on the school websites.
References
- https://www.qppstudio.net/publicholidays2021/indonesia.htm
- https://www.kemenkopmk.go.id/sites/default/files/pengumuman/2022-10/SKB%20LibNas%20dan%20CuBer%202023_0.pdf
