In the deserted Fatahillah Square, there were a couple taking selfies and boys riding around on a bicycle

Not liking it, I came to Fatahillah Square again. This day was Friday. In some Muslim countries, it is a holiday, but here in Indonesia, it is a weekday. Fatahillah Square, which is crowded with people on weekends, was deserted on this day.

In Japan and Western countries, Sunday is generally a holiday. This is due to the influence of Christianity. According to the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament, God created the universe and the earth on the first day, the sky on the second day, the earth on the third day, the sun, the moon, and the stars on the fourth day, fish and birds on the fifth day, beasts and livestock on the sixth day, and human beings in the image of God. And on the seventh day, He rested, probably because He was tired from making so many things. For this reason, Sunday, the seventh day, is a holiday in Christianity. Even in Japan, which did not originally have such a concept, the government made the same day of the week a holiday as in Western countries during the civilization after the Meiji Restoration, and that is why it has become so.

On the other hand, in many Muslim countries, Friday is considered a holiday. This is because Friday is an important day for Muslims to pray. Prayers themselves are held every day, but the Friday noon prayer is special, and it is always considered a day for collective prayers at the mosque. If Friday is a weekday, it is difficult to go to the mosque. That's why Friday is a holiday. The reason why mass prayers are held on Fridays is that it was on Friday that the Prophet Muhammad entered the holy city of Mecca.

Although Indonesia is a Muslim-majority country, the holiday is on Sunday, just like in Japan. In the deserted Fatahillah Square, couples were taking selfies, and a boy riding a bicycle with two others was running around the area.