New Year's Day

New Year’s Day is celebrated in the month of January. It basically marks the beginning of a new year and the end of an old year. It is usually held on the 1st of January every year. New Year’s Day in Indonesia is celebrated with great pomp and gaiety like any other country of the world. This day is observed as public holiday, hence all the schools, colleges, offices and other institutions remains closed on this day. In Indonesian language it is known as Tahun Baru Masehi.
On the New Year’s Day, the people mostly prefer to spend time with their friends and family. Being a holiday, you can see them thronging the cinema halls of the restaurants of the city. They spend the day eating and drinking and visiting some of the major tourist attractions of the city. During the evenings, the people go to the pubs and discos to enjoy themselves.
On this day, the people also go on a shopping spree. The malls and shops are visited by a large number of people, who come to buy new clothes and other articles. The basic idea is to make a fresh start. It’s a day of merry making. People visit one another’s house to exchange gifts. Feasts are laid out, where you get to eat traditional Indonesian food and delicacies.
Indonesia also celebrates Chinese New Year’s Day in January. However, the date varies. On this day, the Chinese community of the country comes together to take part in the festivities. Processions are held on the streets, where you can see people dressed in colorful costumes singing and dancing. The Chinese dragon dance is the biggest attraction of this festival. On this day, the people remember their ancestors. Exchange of gifts, shopping and feasting forms part of the festivities of New Year’s Day.
New Year’s Day is celebrated with a lot of fun and excitement in Indonesia. The celebrations are worth watching and enjoyable too.

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