Pluralistic parade: A youth dressed as Hanoman from the Sanskrit epic Ramayana, with a black-and-white sarong ubiquitous to Balinese Hinduism, takes part in the Kunci Taon parade in Manado, North Sulawesi, which is predominantly Christian. (Wikimedia Commons/Binti Dapubiwaha)

10 unique Indonesian traditions to ring in the new year

Many people have been getting ready to celebrate New Year’s Eve, which coincides with the ‘malam Minggu’ (Saturday night) fever this week. While most people around the world will be marking the transition from 2022 to 2023 with a fireworks show or countdown parties, the unique traditions below have a special significance for Indonesians.

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At Pele museum, fans proud of ailing football icon's legacy

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This photo taken on December 22, 2022 shows Lalita 'Nan' Putchim, marine biologist and specialist in coral biology, taking a photo of an outbreak of yellow-band disease on coral formations off the coast of Samae San island in the coastal Thai province of Chonburi.

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Underneath the calm turquoise waters off eastern Thailand, a rapidly spreading disease is killing corals over vast stretches of the sea floor.

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Moroccan director Maryam Touzani for 'Le Bleu du Caftan' poses with the trophy after winning the Valois de la mise en scene award during the closing ceremony of the 15th Francophone Angouleme film festival in Angouleme, western France, on August 28, 2022.

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Moroccan director wants 'healthy' debate on gay rights

Moroccan director Maryam Touzani hopes her latest film, shortlisted for an Oscar, will provoke "a healthy, much-needed debate" around LGBTQ rights in the conservative country.

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Models present first designer-led AI fashion collections which was assisted by AiDA, during “Fashion X AI : Call For Young Talents 2022“ fashion show in Hong Kong, China, December 19, 2022

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At the Fashion X AI show in Hong Kong, attendees noticed a certain "alien" quality about the new clothes modelled on the event's narrow catwalk - and the designs were, in fact, not entirely human.

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In this picture taken on December 9, 2022, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda speaks during an interview with AFP in Tokyo. Acclaimed director Hirokazu Kore-eda fears that Japan's underfunded, inward-looking cinema industry is putting off young talent, so he's taken matters into his own hands by mentoring up-and-coming filmmakers for a new Netflix series.

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Japanese cinema 'must change' to help young directors, Kore-eda says

Acclaimed director Hirokazu Kore-eda fears that Japan's underfunded, inward-looking cinema industry is putting off young talent, so he's taken matters into his own hands by mentoring up-and-coming filmmakers for a new Netflix series.

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Patina Maldives: A resort with nature-centered architecture

Patina Maldives offers a type of luxury infused with plenty of natural elements.

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Yearender: 2022’s best Indonesian films

From breaking box office records to breaking their own genres’ boxes, The Jakarta Post picks the top-10 Indonesian films this year.

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This photo taken on December 25, 2022 shows an Eastern Sarus crane that was captively-bred at Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo being encouraged to fly away after being released at Huai Chorakhe Mak reservoir in the eastern Thai province of Buriram.

Environment

Fly away home: rare Eastern Sarus cranes released in Thailand

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Health tech: Pictured is an illustration taken in 2021 of clinical expertise at the United Kingdom’s med-tech solution-firm Brainomix assessing a patient. Brainomix’s artificial intelligence technology is used across 11 stroke-treatment networks in the UK and has improved the recovery process of stroke patients.

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AI-powered technology sees big improvements in UK stroke treatment: Analysis

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Inner activism: Ayu Kartika Dewi, a cofounder of the SabangMerauke student exchange program and Perempuan Gagal, a women’s platform for sharing personal failures, talks about how she approaches the many hats she wears, including being a special staffer to the President. (Courtesy of Ayu Kartika Dewi)

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Ayu Kartika Dewi: Special staff to the President

Insightful, modest, mindful and compassionate, Ayu’s activism is a unique blend of worldly experience and empathy to foster tolerance and build peace.

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Danny Cortes, a street miniature artist, shows his miniature of an ice box in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on December 19, 2022. With his nimble fingers and child-like enthusiasm, Danny Cortes re-creates in miniature the hip-hop-infused street scenes of a gritty New York. But what began as a hobby has since brought him fame in the rap community and profitable sales even at Sotheby's prestigious auction house.

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New York artist turns tiny hip-hop street scenes into profitable business

But what began as a hobby has since brought him fame in the rap community and profitable sales even at Sotheby's prestigious auction house.

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Yearender: Viewers' top TV serial hits in 2022

As the cinematic quality of Indonesian soap operas and local web series improved to match those on the big screen, local viewers had a wide selection of great serial entertainment to watch this year.

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Inside look: Workers in hazmat suits inspect on Feb. 3, 2020 the central control room for the Unit One reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, which belongs to the Tokyo Electric Power Company.

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‘Big challenges’: Choosing a nuclear career in Japan

The 2011 Fukushima disaster made working in the nuclear industry unappealing for many Japanese students, but a new government push to revive the sector could start to shift the narrative.

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Five cutting-edge Indonesian NFT artists in 2022

Indonesia’s NFT scene is seeking to weather the collapse of cryptocurrency markets, as a number of artists have kept the country front and center in the medium’s global scene.

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Party central: AM Lounge by Ambrosia, a contemporary speakeasy and newcomer to the Senopati bar scene, throws themed dance parties led by some of Jakarta’s up-and-coming DJs.

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Five exciting S. Jakarta bar-restos to 'hop' in 2023

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Mask yourself: Face masks, while preventing the wearer from contracting COVID-19, can cause skin irritation and acne called "maskne." The symptoms usually include pimples, blackheads, redness and swelling in areas covered by the mask. (Unsplash/Manny Becerra)

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Yearender: 2022’s biggest social media controversies

With a vast majority of Indonesians having an online presence, controversies are often talked about or are started on social media.

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This artists rendering provided by Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa shows Kepler-444 a recently discovered star with at least five Earth-size planets.

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Planet spiralling into star may offer glimpse into Earth's end

In a new study published this week, a team of mostly US-based researchers said they hope the doomed exoplanet Kepler-1658b can help shed light on how worlds die as their stars get older.

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H&M confirms it has rights to Justin Bieber merchandise

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Nepal to release 'Serpent' serial killer Charles Sobhraj

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Rights advocate: Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti speaks during a press conference on May 26, 2022 for Leila’s Brothers at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France. Alidoosti was arrested on Dec. 17 after voicing support for the protest movement triggered by the death of a woman in police custody, as reported by the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan Online news website.

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Global stars call for release of jailed Iranian actor Alidoosti

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Life reflection: Nobel literature laureate Kazuo Ishiguro (left) and actor Bill Nighy (center) pose with Sony Pictures Classic copresident Michael Barker as they attend special screening of Living hosted by Anna Wintour on Dec. 5 at the Crosby Hotel in New York.

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Nobel-winning Ishiguro pens Oscar-tipped 1950s remake ‘Living’

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Picture taken on December 14, 2022, shows professional magician Botond Kelle (L) and child development specialist Valeria Toth during an AFP interview at the Viragkoszoru (Flower Garland) kindergarten in Budapest, Hungary.

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Conjuring up magic at a Budapest kindergarten

An inner-city neighbourhood in Budapest is tapping into the legacy of a famous magician born in the area over a century ago to help immigrant children integrate at kindergarten.

3 years ago