Don’t bother with roses and chocolate in these Indonesian regions, who have stuck to their anti-Valentine’s Day principles on religious and cultural grounds.
While bans or official advisories against Valentine’s Day are nothing new in the conservative pockets of Indonesia, this year, the list below is shorter compared to previous years — like this list from 2018.
Is this a sign that the country is slowly moving away from conservatism in favor of the freedom to choose to take part in the capitalistic cash-grab (sorry, we’re a very cynical bunch) that is Valentine’s Day? Check back with us next year to observe this trend.
In the meantime, here are the provinces, cities and regencies that have declared their anti-Valentine’s Day stance this year.
Aceh (obviously)
The only province in Indonesia with the autonomy to enforce Sharia law is a staple of this list. This year, Aceh’s Ulema Consultative Assembly (MPU) — the province’s senior clerical body that holds immense policy-making power — published an advisory urging citizens to refrain from celebrating Valentine’s Day, as it violates religious and cultural norms.
In Aceh Besar Regency, the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) and the Wilayatul Hisbah religious police are conducting patrols this evening to ensure the youth do not partake in Valentine’s Day celebrations. Interestingly, the measure has invited backlash from the public, some of whom have said that the government’s resources would be better served at fixing roads, eradicating poverty, and stabilizing prices. They say moral policing for Valentine’s Day is unnecessary because the people of Aceh are used to not celebrating it anyway.
Blitar
Like every year, the East Java city has once again banned Valentine’s Day for schoolchildren on the grounds that it’s a pointless holiday that may lead to promiscuity among youths. Instead, students in Blitar are encouraged to spend some of the day watching a nationalistic film in their own time.
Backlash ensued after the city’s administration was criticized for not subsidizing students for the mobile data they would require to watch the film. The administration then suggested that the students look for free Wi-Fi in the city.
Depok
True to form, the satellite city to Jakarta this year published a circular urging students against celebrating Valentine’s Day at school or anywhere else. The advisory against Valentine’s Day has been issued every year for the better part of the past decade in Depok, as city officials declare the day unfit for Indonesian sensibilities.
This year, the city’s education board has also asked parents to take part in ensuring their children don’t fall into the vortex of sin that is Valentine’s Day.
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