Liputan6.com, Jakarta – Canadian Ambassador to Indonesia Peter MacArthur and the country’s representative to ASEAN Diedrah Kelly presented “Canadian Batik” in commemoration of its National Day on Monday (1/7/2019). The chosen motif is a maple leaf associated with Indonesian art, a symbol of friendship with Indonesia.

“This batik was made in collaboration with Mr. Liliek Setiawan… in the design, with emphasis on the use of natural dyes, which is part of our efforts to reduce our footprint (waste-red) environment,” Ambassador MacArthur said in his speech at the Canada Day reception.

The ambassador also invited the public to witness the batik-making process outside the reception building, where Canadian batik artists were featured directly from Bulu village in Central Java.

There are at least five design elements in Canadian batik. Among them are red maple leaves, brown leaves, maple fruits and buds, curved maple trunks and streams of maple syrup. These five elements have deep meaning.

The red maple leaf symbolizes Canada’s national identity to future generations. The brown leaves symbolize the harmony and openness of the inhabitants of the Land of Ice Shards.

The buds and fruits of the maple tree represent the spirit of innovation and the drive to grow, with the two branches being a symbol of male and female. Meanwhile, the curved trunk of the maple tree symbolizes the philosophy that in order to grow, one must make efforts to overcome trials and difficulties.

Finally, maple syrup, made from tree sap, is a symbol of happiness for Canadians, who regularly rank in the top 10 happiest countries in the world. The base color, white, was chosen because it represents winter, one of four in the Land of Ice Shards; in addition to being a symbol of purity of heart.

The reception held Monday evening in Jakarta was a celebration of Canada National Day which is celebrated every July 1. On the same date, in 1867, the Constitution of the country came into force, uniting three distinct colonies, namely the provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Since then, the three regions have agreed to form a single dominion called Canada.