Nationwide Ceremony at 7:00 AM Today
The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag - Kementerian Agama) scheduled the 2026 National Santri Day ceremony to take place simultaneously on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 07:00 local time. The implementation guidelines are outlined in Minister of Religious Affairs Circular Letter Number 6 of 2026, which serves as a reference for ministries and agencies, regional governments, Kemenag offices, Islamic higher education institutions, Islamic mass organizations, pesantren (Islamic boarding schools), Islamic religious education units, santri (Islamic students), and the general public.
To reach a broader audience, the flag-raising ceremony was also broadcast live via the official social media channels of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Kemenag invited all parties to promote the theme, logo, and series of events through official websites, social media, banners, billboards, and standing banners, while maintaining simplicity and solemnity.
Golden Indonesia Theme and Series of Events
Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar established 'Santri Strengthening the Nation Towards Golden Indonesia' as the central theme for this year's commemoration. Through this theme, pesantren are encouraged not only to preserve Islamic scholarly traditions but also to emerge as a productive generation in various strategic sectors leading toward Golden Indonesia 2045. Meanwhile, PBNU (Pengurus Besar Nahdlatul Ulama - Executive Board of Nahdlatul Ulama) adopted the theme 'Strengthening Traditional Roots, Safeguarding National Integrity'.
The commemoration extends beyond the ceremony. Kemenag guidelines accommodate Santri Scouts, ecotheology activities, and the Pesantren Independence Expo running October 16–24, 2026, showcasing the potential, products, and achievements of Islamic boarding schools to the public. The Santri Letter to the President program, held from September 22 to October 8, 2026, was also part of the series; selected letters were presented to President Prabowo, and the winners were invited to attend the Santri Service Night for the Nation.
History of the 1945 Jihad Resolution
Designating October 22 as Santri Day traces back to the Jihad Resolution declared by KH Hasyim Asy'ari on October 22, 1945. The call urged Muslims to defend Indonesia's independence against the return of colonial rule and formed part of the struggle leading to the Battle of Surabaya in November 1945.
The government designated Santri Day as a national observance through Presidential Decree Number 22 of 2015, signed by President Joko Widodo on October 15, 2015. Since then, the annual commemoration has served as national recognition of the contributions of santri and pesantren throughout the history of Indonesia's independence struggle. Notably, Santri Day is not a public holiday, and government as well as educational activities proceed as usual.
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