Batik is an art form that originated in Indonesia. It uses wax and colored dyes to create unique patterns on cloth. These patterns differ from each piece of clothing. Batik is deeply rooted into Indonesian culture and is worn on special occasions. In my experience, we would wear Batik in Indonesia on Fridays, as would most other Indonesian men, because on Friday, there is an Islamic Friday Prayer that men are required to go to. For context, Indonesia is majority-muslim. However, batik clothing is most definitely worn by non-Muslim Indonesians, as batik clothing is culturally and historically significant to all Indonesians, regardless of religion. Other than Fridays, Batik is also worn on weddings, formal occasions, religious holidays, etc. My family moved to the USA in 2015. I remember that when I was younger my dad and I repeatedly wore batik clothing on the two Eids during the year, which are Islamic holidays. We now usually wear thobes, but we still keep the batik tradition alive in our attire that we keep in our closets.

– RA

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