Red and White Day 2024: Where Tradition meets Competition

Written by ... | 5 September 2024

On the seventeenth of August, 1945, Indonesia reclaimed its independence from our Dutch and Japanese oppressors, establishing ourselves as a sovereign nation. Every year since on the anniversary of that fateful day, millions around the country celebrate this triumph in their own special ways. For us Mentarians, our way of celebrating our independence is by hosting Red and White day, a celebration of the genesis of our Republic. On this day, four teams each named after a historical Indonesian state, Majapahit, Kutai, Sriwijaya, and Mataram, compete against each other in a wide variety of exciting games in order to seize the title of the champion.

This year’s Red and White day, held on the fifteenth of August, started off with an opening ceremony under the sun. Each team showed their pride and determination through their very own chants or yel-yels to hype themselves up and intimidate their opposition. Accompanied by claps, cheers, and drums, each team wanted to showcase their motivation and ambition for the day.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a proper celebration of our nation’s birth without the national anthem; Indonesia Raya. As the voices of hundreds of students and staff joined together in harmony to form that glorious melody, it was a truly beautiful reminder of just what we were celebrating: our love and pride in our nation.

And so the games began. Both students and teachers participated in games of their own choosing, all focused on a single goal; victory. These games were held simultaneously across the school, among them games such as panminton, tug-of-war, and sarung volleyball, being games where one would showcase their athletic skills; while some other games, such as poetry writing & reading, the dangdut dance competition, as well as the trivia, gave space for a much more creative and subdued competitive space; a battlefield of the mind. Some other games featured were the hula hoop relay, water balloon fight, and the ever-so-timeless classics like kerupuk-eating and the flour relay.

Despite its competitive veneer, it’s important to keep in mind what Red and White day is truly about. The importance of Red and White day goes beyond simply winning the games; it is a celebration of Indonesian pride and unity. Despite competing as different teams, we come together as one.

This year, team Sriwijaya triumphed with 116 points, followed closely by team Majapahit with 112 points, team Mataram in third with 110 points and team Kutai finishing fourth with 102 points. As the day closed with the announcement of results, the character of each team shone brightly. Now, we must try to carry this competitive spirit further into the upcoming Mini Olympics!