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.