Christmas in Indonesia, locally known as ' from the Portuguese word for

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

, is celebrated with various traditions throughout the country. Despite the majority of Indonesians being

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

, Christmas is still widely celebrated in Indonesia. Many Indonesians who are not

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday.

Overview

Indonesia has approximately 28 million

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

, of which about 70% are

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

and 30% are

Roman Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

.Sensus Penduduk 2010:Penduduk Indonesia Menurut Wilayah dan Agama yang Dianut
Badan Pusat Statistik. Accessed by 15 December 2014. In regions with a Christian majority, both Protestants and Catholics celebrate Christmas with ceremonies and local food.
ID Nugroho & Anissa S. Febrina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta. 30 December 2009. Diakses pada 15 December 2014. In big cities, shopping centers are decorated with plastic

Christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen pinophyta, conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, associated with the celebration of Christmas. It may also consist of an artificial tree of similar appearance. The custom was deve ...

s and

Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...

figures (locally known as ''Sinterklas'', derived from the Dutch word ''

Sinterklaas Sinterklaas () or Sint-Nicolaas () is a legendary figure based on Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children. Other Dutch names for the figure include ''De Sint'' ("The Saint"), ''De Goede Sint'' ("The Good Saint") and ''De Goedheiligman'' (derive ...

''). Many local television channels broadcast Christmas musical concerts, and the government organizes the annual national Christmas celebration. In addition to traditional foods, there are also unique Christmas Day foods, such as traditional desserts like ''nastar'' ( pineapple tart) and kastengel (from Dutch word ''kaasstengel''), or ' putri salju'.Christmas in Indonesia
whychristmas.com. Diakses pada 15 December 2014.

By region

Jakarta

North Jakarta North Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jakut, is one of the five administrative cities (''kota administrasi'') which form Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. North Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is ...

, Indonesians of Portuguese descent live mainly in Kampung Tugu. After Christmas

Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

, Christians in Kampung Tugu will visit the cemetery next to their local church and start the rabo-rabo tradition. The rabo-rabo tradition consists of playing

Kroncong Kroncong (pronounced "kronchong"; , ) is the name of a ukulele-like instrument and an Indonesian musical style that typically makes use of the kroncong (the sound ' comes from this instrument, so the music is called ''kroncong''). A ''kroncong'' ...

music and dancing together around the village area. Locals will sing and visit each other's relatives. Relatives who are visited must later join the game until a chain of players forms on the streets. The visits will continue until they arrive at the last house in the area.

Papua

In the Papua region, after Christmas Mass, a ritual cooking of pork for feasting is held using a ''Barapen'' (grilling stone). The pork meat is cooked in between hot stones that are heated using wood. Instead of using matches, Papuan people scrape the wood continuously to produce heat to set it on fire. In order to prepare the ''Barapen'', Papuan men dig a hole to put the hot stones in. At the same time, Papuan women prepare vegetables such as

sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant in the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its sizeable, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable, which is a staple food in parts of ...

, water spinach,

fern The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...

spinach Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to Central Asia, Central and Western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common vegetable consumed eit ...

, and

papaya The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus '' Carica'' of the family Caricaceae, and also the name of its fruit. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within ...

. Hot stones are stacked on the base of the hole and the pork and vegetables are put into the hole and covered with another layer of hot stones. The pork is cooked in the hole for half a day. The tradition of ''Barapen'' is an expression of gratitude, togetherness, sharing, and love, characterised by eating pork together.Sukacita Natal di Nabire
, HidupKatolik.com – 23 December 2012. Accessed by 15 December 2014.

Ambon

In Negeri Naku, South Leitimur, Ambon, there is a ceremony called ''cuci negeri'' (cleaning the nation). This ceremony symbolises the purification and liberation of

sin In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered ...

s from the local people and their environment. The ''cuci negeri'' starts with a gathering in the community

function hall Function or functionality may refer to: Computing * Function key, a type of key on computer keyboards * Function model, a structured representation of processes in a system * Function object or functor or functionoid, a concept of object-orien ...

for each clan to hold their own traditional ritual. From there, the Ambonese walk to the traditional function hall. They sing and dance to the sounds of the tifa (traditional music instrument). Along the way, the women bring some offerings like

betel Betel (''Piper betle'') is a species of flowering plant in the pepper family Piperaceae, native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious vine, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel plants are cultivated for their lea ...

areca nut The areca nut ( or ) or betel nut () is the fruit of the areca palm (''Areca catechu''). The palm is originally native to the Philippines, but was carried widely through the tropics by the Austronesian migrations and trade since at least 15 ...

, and traditional drink called ''sopi''.Warga Negeri Naku Gelar Adat Cuci Negeri
, AntaraNews.com. Diakses pada 16 December 2014. During Christmas Eve celebrations in the Maluku, church bells will ring and ships will sound their sirens.

Yogyakarta

In the

Yogyakarta Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...

area, Christmas celebrations are marked by a ''

wayang kulit ( ) is a traditional form of shadow puppetry originally found in the cultures of Java and Bali in Indonesia. In a performance, the puppet figures are rear-projected on a taut linen screen with a coconut oil (or electric) light. The (shadow ...

'' adaptation of the

Nativity scene In the Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche ( or ), or in Italian ''presepio'' or ''presepe'', or Bethlehem) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christmastide, Christmas season, of ar ...

. Church Mass is led by the

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

who wears traditional Javanese attire (wearing ''beskap'' and ''blankon'') and speaks in the local language. Similar to

Eid al-Fitr Eid al-Fitr () is the first of the two main Islamic holidays, festivals in Islam, the other being Eid al-Adha. It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide becaus ...

(''lebaran'') and

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival (see also #Names, § Names), is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is one of the most important holi ...

(''imlek''), during Christmas time, people visit friends and family; children may receive money in an envelope from elders.Unique Indonesian Traditions for Celebrating Christmas
Tempo.co – Rina Atmasari. 25 December 2013. Diakses pada 15 December 2014.Tradisi Natal di Indonesia
, Muna Zakiah: KebudayaanIndonesia.net – 20 December 2013. Diakses pada 16 December 2014.

Manado

The pre-Christmas celebrations in

Manado Manado (, ) is the capital City status in Indonesia, city of the Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province of North Sulawesi. It is the second largest city in Sulawesi after Makassar, with the 2020 census giving a population of 451,916,Badan ...

start from 1 December when the regional government officers go on the "Christmas Safari" and observe the Mass in a different district every day. As part of tradition, some residents of Manado join a

carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

or visit and clean their families' graves. The series of Christmas celebrations will finish in the first week of January with a festival called ''kunci taon''. During this festival, there is a carnival across the region featuring unique costumes.

Bali

Most Christian villages in

Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...

are located on the southern side of the island. In those villages, road decorations called ''penjor'' (made from yellow coconut leaves) are made for Christmas, which symbolise the Anantaboga dragon. The Christmas celebration draws influence from

Balinese Hinduism Balinese Hinduism (; , ''Hindusmé Bali''), also known in Indonesia as ''Agama Hindu Dharma'', ''Agama Tirtha'', ''Agama Air Suci'' or ''Agama Hindu Bali'', is the form of Hinduism practised by the majority of the population of Bali.McDaniel, J ...

.Balinese Christians: In Search of Tradition
Benito Lopulalan in Bali Today: Modernity by Jean Couteau et al. Page 111-115. 2005. Jakarta: KPG (Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia). Diakses pada 16 December 2014. In Bali, the Christmas tree is made from chicken feathers. This unique tree has been imported to some European countries.Uniknya Pohon Natal dari Bulu Ayam
, Ely – Ciputra Entrepreneurship. 19 December 2011. Diakses pada 15 December 2014.

Toraja

Torajan people The Torajan are an ethnic group indigenous to a mountainous region of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Their population is approximately 1,100,000, of whom 450,000 live in the regency of Tana Toraja ("Land of Toraja"). Most of the population is Chr ...

celebrate Christmas by having a cultural festival called ''Lovely December''. This festival consists of dancing, a culinary celebration, cultural carnival, bamboo music performance and handicraft exhibition. The festival is ended by fireworks and ''Lettoan'' procession which is held on 26 December.Tana Toraja Festival held on Dec. 25 to boost tourism
, The Jakarta Post. 22 December 2011. Diakses pada 16 December 2014. ''Lettoan'' is a ritual of having pig parade with cultural symbols that represent three dimensions of human life. Those three symbols are: * ''Saritatolamban'', shaped like stairs, which represents a

prayer File:Prayers-collage.png, 300px, alt=Collage of various religionists praying – Clickable Image, Collage of various religionists praying ''(Clickable image – use cursor to identify.)'' rect 0 0 1000 1000 Shinto festivalgoer praying in front ...

and hope for a better life (as the steps which always go up). * The Sun, which represents the source of life and light. * ''Tabang'' flower, which represents success in the Torajan people's life."Lettoan" Meriahkan "Lovely December" Toraja
Aditia Maruli. AntaraNews.com – 27 December 2009. Diakses pada 16 December 2014.

North Sumatra

For the

Batak Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian peoples, Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo people ( ...

North Sumatra North Sumatra () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the northern part of the island of Sumatra. Its capital and largest city is Medan on the east coast of the island. It borders Aceh to the northwest, Riau to the sou ...

, Christmas Day is always followed by sacrificing an animal. The local people will save money for months beforehand and buy this animal together. This tradition is called ''marbinda'' and shows togetherness and mutual cooperation. The sacrificed animal can be a pig, a buffalo, or an ox, and the meat will be shared to all the people that participate in the purchasing of the animal.

National Christmas Celebration

Every year, the Ministry of Religious Affairs holds the National Christmas Celebration of the Republic of Indonesia. The program started in 1993 after a suggestion from Tiopan Bernhard Silalahi, who was Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform in the

Sixth Development Cabinet The Sixth Development Cabinet () was the Indonesian cabinet which served under President Suharto and Vice President Try Sutrisno from March 1993 until March 1998. The Cabinet was formed after Suharto was elected to a 6th term as President by the ...

, who has

background, to the then

President of Indonesia The president of the Republic of Indonesia () is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Indonesia. The president is the leader of the executive branch of the Indonesian government and the commander-in-chief of the ...

Suharto Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician, and dictator, who was the second and longest serving president of Indonesia, serving from 1967 to 1998. His 32 years rule, cha ...

. Diakses pada 5 December 2017. Since that time, the National Christmas Celebration has been held almost every year (and was held as a virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–21). Exceptions were in 2004, which was canceled as a condolence for the victims of the

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time ( UTC+7), a major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2–9.3 struck with an epicentre off the west coast of Aceh in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The undersea megathrust earthquake, known in the sci ...

, in 2018, which was canceled as a condolence for the victims of the

2018 Sunda Strait tsunami The 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami ( Indonesian: ''Tsunami Selat Sunda 2018'') occurred on 22 December 2018 at around 21:38 local time after large parts of the southwestern side of Anak Krakatoa collapsed onto its caldera. The landslide spawned a tsu ...

, and in 2022, which was also planned to be cancelled before being delayed at the last minute as a condolence for the victims of the

2022 West Java earthquake On 21 November 2022, at 13:21 Time in Indonesia, WIB (UTC+07:00), a 5.6 earthquake struck near Cianjur, Cianjur Regency, Cianjur in West Java, Indonesia. The strike-slip earthquake occurred with a focal depth of . Between 335 and 635 people die ...

. Until 2013, National Christmas Celebration was held in

Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...

and the most common used venue was

Jakarta Convention Center Jakarta International Convention Center or JICC is a convention center located in Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex, Jakarta, Indonesia. It is one of earliest as well as popular convention center in Jakarta. Since its inauguration in 1974, many ...

. Since 2014, the tradition was changed by the then newly elected

Joko Widodo Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), often known mononymously as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician, engineer, and businessman who served as the seventh president of Indonesia from 2014 to 2024. Previously a member of the Indonesian Democratic ...

.Joko Widodo Ungkap Alasan Perayaan Natal Nasional Digelar di Papua
27 December 2014. Diakses pada 5 December 2017. This is the list of National Christmas Celebration hosts since 2014:

References

External links

* {{Christmas

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

Christianity in Indonesia Festivals in Indonesia Public holidays in Indonesia