Is National Awakening Day a Public Holiday?

National Awakening Day is commemorated every 20 May. This year, the day, also known as Harkitnas, will fall on Wednesday, 20 May 2026.

So, is National Awakening Day a public holiday? There is no public holiday for National Awakening Day, and there is also no collective leave (cuti bersama) assigned to it.

However, if one wishes to take time off, they could utilise annual leave or wait until the following Wednesday, 27 May 2026, which marks Eid al-Adha 1447 Hijriah. That date represents the final public holiday in May 2026. If possible, employees could also plan for a long weekend, as Monday, 1 June 2026, is Pancasila Day.

The history of National Awakening Day is closely linked to the establishment of the Boedi Utomo organisation, known as the pioneer of the national movement. The organisation was founded on 20 May 1908 by Soetomo and students of the STOVIA medical school in Jakarta.

During the 40th anniversary of Boedi Utomo in 1948, the first President of the Republic of Indonesia, Soekarno, designated 20 May as National Awakening Day. The purpose of this designation was to strengthen the spirit of unity and nationalism during the struggle to defend independence against colonial threats.

Several years later, specifically on 16 December 1959, National Awakening Day was officially established through Presidential Decree Number 316 of 1959 concerning National Days That Are Not Public Holidays.