Indonesia: Indonesia declared its independence from the Netherlands on Aug 17, 1945, marking the start of the Indonesian National Revolution. The declaration faced strong opposition from Dutch rulers. After four years of unrest, struggle and diplomatic meetings, in 1949 the Netherlands finally acknowledged the independence of Indonesia, but did not accept Aug 17, 1945 as Indonesia’s official date of independence until 2005.

Each year, the whole nation comes together in a riot of red and white, Indonesia's national colors for the big day. Virtually everyone from toddlers to senior citizens comes out to play and engage in boisterous local games that have long defined Independence Day commemorations in this country.

These include games such as aspanjat pinang (pole-climbing), balap karung (sack races), tarik tambang (tug of war), makan kerupuk (cracker-eating contests), lari kelereng (running while holding spoons filled with marbles in one’s mouth) and perang bantal (pillow fights conducted on balance beams extended across a river).

On Independence Day, it's playtime for everyone

Indonesians celebrate Independence Day with grand parade