New Year's Celebrations in Indonesia

Most of Indonesian people celebrate the New Year's eve with city convoy by cars and motorcycles. New Year is not celebrated as big as Idul Fitri in Indonesia. Most of Indonesian people are still working on New Year's Eve. We will have the celebration after office hours. We usually buy the New Year's things like paper hats, paper trumpet, or fireworks on our way home. That what most of Indonesian do, but if you visit our hotels, malls, and stores or foreign ambassadors offices you will find different atmosphere. They usually prepare New Year's Eve parties and celebrations with different themes and entertainment like live musics, and dances.

Jakarta,
Jakarta people usually gather in major street like Thamrin in Jakarta, Monas Statue, or Ancol Bay City.  They will drive around the city and wait for the New Year at 24.00. After that, we will have fireworks. Last year (Dec 31, 2008) we had 10,000 of fireworks. Not big compare with other big city but it was great enough and made most of Jakarta's people entertained.
Hotels, cafes, and TV Stations are preparing many entertaining programs. Hotels will offer discounts for family to spend their New Year's Eve there and many other interesting New years parties.

Bandung,
I live in Bandung, West Java. The New Year celebration is not different with other major city in Indonesia. Most of Bandung people still working and will gather (most of ) in Gedung Sate in Diponegoro Street. Gedung Sate is the Governor Office.  We will have many music performances, dances - modern and traditional, magic performances, young kid with their skateboards, and many more. There will be plenty of food sellers on the street. And we will count down with the Governor and his staffs. After that, we will have the fireworks.

Bali,
Bali is the common destination to spend the New Year's Eve celebrations. Most tourists and Balinese will spend the night on Kuta Beach. There are many performances in many hotels, cafes, bars, beaches, and etc.

As usual, I never go outside and spend the New Year's Eve on the street. For years, we have our own tradition. Before I got married, I spent the New Year's Eve in my local church in Solo. We had a special New Year's Eve celebration, we brought food and we had praised, prayed, and worshiped God until midnight, we will enter the New Year with the Lord. After that we had a feast together with our fellow church members and the pastors family.
After I married, the tradition has changed but not much. I spent the New Year's Eve prayed in my house or in one of our cell group member's house. Sometime we brought food, sometime we cooked together and had barbecue. We prayed until midnight and greeted one another. If we were in my husband hometown, we spent the New Year's eve with family and prayed together. We will have barbecue and foods just like what we got on Christmas

On New Year day, we will go to the local church and have special celebration. We will have the Holy Sacrament. After all the ceremonies, we'll go home or visiting family, going to the zoo, or go on local vacation like to the strawberry farm or tea farm etc and have fun.

This year, like before, my Pastor ordered us to have fast and pray from November 21 until December 12, we will prepare entering the New Year with pray and fasting.
So, once again Happy New Year everybody...hope all of you will have a great holiday this year and be blessed on the upcoming New Year.