Poor economy keeps Xmas celebrations modest
Poor economy keeps Xmas celebrations modest
Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh
This year at Christmas, three-year-old Melia will have to make do
with only a single dress. Her mother, Kasmiati, 40, used to buy
her daughter three to four dresses for Christmas before.
"We are not in a good economic condition this year," Kasmiati
told The Jakarta Post.
Kasmiati, who is a Protestant, has also not prepared any
special dish to celebrate Christmas or decorated the house with
Christmas ornaments which she used to do previously.
"What else can we do? We hardly have enough money to live on,"
she said bitterly.
Still, she expressed gratitude that her family was spared from
the tsunami, despite having to live in cramped quarters at the
Smep Peunayong barracks in Banda Aceh.
Observing Christmas this year saddens her as it reminds her of
the disaster that struck the day after Christmas last year.
"It was the last Christmas our family celebrated together in
the comfort of a home," said Kasmiati.
Besides her, there are five other Protestant families who live
in the barracks, none of which have prepared anything special for
Christmas.
"All the Christmas activities are focussed on the church this
year. Together we will remember our fellow Christians who
perished," said Kasmiati's neighbor, Veronika, a Catholic.
Kasmiati and Veronika intend to bring their families to the
local church to attend a Christmas service on Dec. 25.
Priska, 22, from Kampung Jawa, who is now living at a
relatives' house, will celebrate Christmas in a simple way.
"We have a small Christmas tree, but this Christmas will be
very different because I lost two members of my family in the
tsunami, my father and brother," said Priska.
Despite 98 percent of the population being Muslims, there are
people of other faiths in Aceh, such as Christians. Most of them
are Chinese-Indonesians or come from North Sumatra.
According to Father Ferdinando, 70, head of the Hati Kudus
(Sacred Heart) Catholic church, of the 450 Catholics and
Protestants in Aceh, 35 Protestants died in the tsunami in Banda
Aceh, and five in Meulaboh.
The church plans to hold a simple Christmas service. "We will
only celebrate Christmas Mass and a modest dinner at the church,"
said Ferdinando in Banda Aceh recently.