Christians keep Xmas celebrations subdued

Christians keep Xmas celebrations subdued

By I. Christianto

JAKARTA (JP): In keeping with custom, shopping centers have
beautified themselves with bright decorations and stores are
discounting prices during Christmas and the year-end fair to keep
the cash registers ringing.

Even so, the Christmas celebration this year will likely be
more subdued due to the economic turmoil, recent riots, including
the burning of churches, and continuing student demonstrations.

The crisis has made most Christians -- making up less than 10
percent of the country's 202 million population -- cautious about
how they celebrate the holiday.

The wealthy, seen queuing up in long lines at upmarket
shopping malls, may still be able to shop till they drop. They
can still buy luxurious items and purchase lots of imported
foodstuffs at top retailers. They are the minority.

"Prices have gone up. We need to be very careful with our
expenses," said J.B. Basuki, an executive. "Christmas presents
are not essential, what's important is care and attention.

"We have to understand the current crisis, why it has
happened. Perhaps each of us really needs to contemplate."

He has decided to allocate some of his Christmas budget to the
less fortunate.

"There is an increasing number of unemployed people out there.
We must remember that some people are less fortunate than us."

Basuki said he tried to make his three children understand the
celebration of Christmas in Indonesia, particularly as Christmas
Eve falls during the Moslem fasting month of Ramadhan.

The council of the Indonesian Federation of Churches has
called upon Christians to be respectful of their Moslem
neighbors. Celebrations should not be ostentatious to avoid
drawing attention to social gaps.

The crisis toll, fueled by the sharp depreciation of the
rupiah, is immense. Year-end unemployment is expected to reach 20
million, or 15 percent of the workforce.

Prices of basic commodities have soared and measures taken to
meet requirements of the International Monetary Fund's bailout
package have often been accused of worsening the situation for
the man in the street.

Nancy, a mother of a four-year daughter, sharply cut her
expenses for Christmas this year.

"This year I am making the decorations for our Christmas tree
by myself to save money. Decorative ribbons now cost Rp 50,000
per pack. I only spent less than Rp 10,000 for the materials to
create the same decorations."

She said her family was pleased with her creations. "It takes
times, but I feel so happy."

Filip, a psychology student, said he would celebrate Christmas
with his family in a traditional way.

"In a crisis or not, we never shop for gifts or eat out or
something like that. We are a simple family. We just decorate the
same Christmas tree yearly and go to church on Christmas Eve."

Elizabeth Deo, a mother of three, is not buying presents for
her family this year. Christmas should be about simplicity, she
said. "Thankfully, my children are already grown up. Besides,
Christmas is not about glamor."