August 17th is the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia, and of course, this is a very special day. There are so many activities held on this date, such as the raising of the red-and-white flag, as well as traditional competitions, such as the pole-climbing competition, sack race, cracker-eating competition, and many other competitions. However, one competition that really caught my attention was the pole-climbing (panjat pinang) competition.
Do you know what makes this particular competition so interesting.?
In this competition, a cleaned areca palm tree is planted firmly into the ground so that it stands upright. Then, the entire trunk of the areca palm tree is covered with oil or grease, making it extremely slippery. The most interesting part is that the participants have to work together to climb the slippery tree trunk, and teamwork and helping each other are essential to successfully reach the top. Usually, various prizes such as food, clothing, or other useful items have already been placed at the very top.
At that time, the competition was held in Seuneubok Punti Village, Manyak Payed District, Aceh Tamiang Regency. Actually, various interesting activities and competitions were also held there, but unfortunately, I only visited this place in the afternoon, when several competitions had already ended, and the only one left was the pole-climbing competition.
There were so many people attending the event, from local residents to people who came from other villages. This was a very exciting activity that created a friendly atmosphere and brought warmth and a strong sense of togetherness among the community.
It turns out that there were two areca palm trees at this event, but one tree had already been conquered, and only one tree was left. Now, let’s take a look at the excitement, where the participants were trying to reach the top, and you could see them helping each other. The participants who felt they had bigger bodies would usually become the foundation so that the other participants could climb higher. They continued making a foundation like this until one person managed to reach the top. However, considering that the areca palm tree was extremely slippery, it was certainly not an easy thing to do.
The scene really looked so intense, and even the spectators joined in cheering to encourage the participants. However, the fun part was when the participants failed, as it created a funny atmosphere, bringing laughter and happiness to everyone, perhaps except for the participants themselves lol.
Behind the excitement of this particular competition, we can also take some important meanings and lessons from it, such as not giving up easily when pursuing something, and we also have to work together with others. And that is why the pole-climbing competition is so interesting and has such a positive meaning in my eyes.
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