JAKARTA The government officially designated October 17 as Cultural Day. This policy is stated in the Decree of the Minister of Culture Number 162/M/2025 which was signed by the Minister of Culture Fadli Zon on July 7, 2025 in Jakarta. However, Culture Day is not a national holiday.
According to the Special Staff of the Minister of Culture for Media and Public Communication, M. Asrian Mirza, the date was chosen not without reason and has been studied. On October 17, 1951, President Soekarno and Prime Minister Sukiman Wirjosandjojo signed Government Regulation Number 6 of 1951 concerning State Emblems. The document stipulates Garuda Pancasila with the motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika as the official symbol of the Republic of Indonesia.
"The determination of Cultural Day is a strategic step to ensure that our culture remains alive amidst the modernization and swift global influence," Asrian said when contacted, Monday, July 14. He emphasized that since the beginning of independence, diversity has been recognized as the foundation of the nation.
Asrian added that many cultural heritages are now threatened with extinction, from regional languages to traditions and arts. Cultural day is an important moment to document and revive increasingly forgotten values.
In addition, the government wants to strengthen national identity. The younger generation is expected to be increasingly proud of its cultural roots. Schools and educational institutions will be encouraged to include cultural material in the curriculum so that noble values do not disappear in the globalization.
Creative economy aspects and cultural diplomacy are also a concern. Cultural-based industries, such as performance arts, culinary arts, and handicrafts, have great potential to develop if culture continues to be cared for. In the international world, culture is the door to introducing Indonesia to the world.
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"With this warning, we want to build tolerance and social harmony. Culture is a meeting room, not a space apart," said Asrian.
The determination of Cultural Day on October 17 is expected to serve as a reminder that diversity is not a burden, but a common force. In the spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, culture must be maintained as a nation's identity in the midst of an unstoppable global current.
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