August is synonymous with the colors red and white, reflecting the Indonesian flag. Almost everywhere—from offices and streets to private homes—people put up red-and-white decorations; at the very least, they display the national flag in front of their houses.
August 17, 2026, marks Indonesia's 81st Independence Day. Beyond the red-and-white theme, the celebration is always enlivened by various competitions. Offices, residential neighborhoods, and public spaces like town squares or city parks frequently host these kinds of events.
Our office was no exception. We held our competition event on Friday, August 14—a date that also coincided with the 68th anniversary of Bali Province.
The competitions took place at our headquarters and involved employees representing every department and division. The goals were to foster a sense of family among staff, improve teamwork and coordination, and—most importantly—simply have fun after a long period of hard work.
Due to budget constraints, we held only a few competitions this year. The events included filling a bottle with water, guiding a pencil into a bottle, popping balloons, a couples' balloon dance, and—of course—the kerupuk (cracker) eating contest, a staple of every Indonesian Independence Day celebration.
For the water-filling competition, teams consisted of five people lined up one behind the other. A container of water was placed in front of the first person. The first player would scoop up water with both hands and pass it to the second player, who would then pass it to the next, and so on. Finally, the last player would pour the water into a bottle positioned behind them. The team that managed to fill their bottle with the most water within the allotted time was declared the winner.
There is the "pencil-in-the-bottle" game, played in teams of five. A pencil is tied at its midpoint with a string, and the ends of the string are tied around each team member's waist, with the pencil positioned behind their back. Teams walk to a designated bottle and circle around it while dancing, waiting for the organizers' signal to insert the pencil into the bottle. The first team to successfully insert the pencil wins.
Then there is the balloon-passing race, also involving teams of five. Team members line up; the first participant passes a balloon to the second by handing it back between their legs, and this continues down the line to the last person. The last participant then passes the balloon forward over their head, and so on, until the balloon reaches the first participant again. Finally, the first participant pops the balloon by sitting on it.
For the couples' balloon dance, teams consist of two people standing back-to-back with a balloon placed between them. Their mission is to keep the balloon from falling while dancing, without using their hands. The game continues until only one winning couple remains.
Perhaps the most iconic event is the kerupuk (Indonesian cracker) eating contest. Participants try to finish eating a cracker hanging in front of them without using their hands. The string holding the cracker is attached to a main line strung horizontally. The challenge arises when the cracker swings around due to the movements of other participants trying to eat their own crackers.
All in all, these kinds of competitions are incredibly fun to participate in or watch. Spectators cheer enthusiastically for their teams, and the events often feature funny moments that make both the audience and participants burst into laughter.
Have you ever taken part in team competitions like these? Share your experiences in the comments!
Image created using ChatGPT
