Kartini Day
Next: April 21, 2027
Through darkness to light.
The story
Where it comes from
Hari Kartini marks the birthday of Raden Ajeng Kartini, born on 21 April 1879 in Mayong, Jepara, in Central Java, the daughter of the local regent. Schooled in Dutch but then kept at home, as custom required of girls of her rank, she read widely and wrote letters to friends in Europe about girls' education and the lives of Javanese women. She died in 1904, aged 25. Her letters were published in 1911 as Door Duisternis tot Licht, 'Through Darkness to Light', and on 2 May 1964 President Sukarno named her a national hero.
How it's celebrated
Schools and offices across Indonesia hold ceremonies, and many women and girls wear the kebaya and kain to school or work. Towns hold Kartini lookalike and kebaya contests, with Kartini Cilik (Little Kartini) versions for young girls, alongside speeches, exhibitions and songs about her. Some people visit her grave in Rembang, and many use the day to talk about women's rights and education today.
Did you know
- Money from the sale of her letters helped found a series of Kartini Schools for girls in Java.
- W.R. Supratman, who composed Indonesia's national anthem, wrote a song about her in 1929.
- She is the only Indonesian national hero with an annual national day of her own.
Coming up next
- Earth Day · April 22, 2027
- International Girls in ICT Day · April 22, 2027
- World Book Day · April 23, 2027
- International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace · April 24, 2027
- World Malaria Day · April 25, 2027
- World Intellectual Property Day · April 26, 2027