Flaming Football: Indonesians Way to Celebrate Ramadan
Football is undoubtedly one of the most popular sports in Indonesia. It is so popular that there are even variations of the sport, one of them is flaming football. As the name implies it is ordinary football but is played with fire. The Indonesian archipelago consists of tens of thousands of islands, hundreds of tribes and languages. This richness and cultural diversity often results in new cultural variations. Islam as the religion practiced by the majority of the population also colors Indonesian culture. Flaming football is an example of how modern culture combines with local culture and religion. Football as a modern culture meets local wisdom of the Indonesian people who believe in mystical things and are celebrated in various religious events, that's flaming football. Flaming football is usually played in celebrations of Islamic holidays such as the Islamic New Year and during the month of Ramadan. This game is very popular among students studying in Islamic boarding schools throughout Java. In addition, this game is also popular with the general public. The ball is made of coconut shells that have been drained of water and then soaked in kerosene for days so that they soak into the coir and are easy to ignite. And as you can see in the pictures above this game has to be played barefoot. To avoid injury, players are required to undergo special rituals such as fasting and applying certain oils that can minimize the impact of burning on the skin. Most people play this football only to celebrate Islamic holidays, but there are also those who believe that this sport is to test their supernatural power. As I said before, this sport reflects a beautiful blend of modern culture, local wisdom and religious festivals.
