Christmas in Indonesia

[3] In regions with a Christian majority, both Protestants and Catholics celebrate Christmas with ceremonies and local food.

[4] In big cities, shopping centers are decorated with plastic Christmas trees and Santa Claus figures (locally known as Sinterklas, derived from the Dutch word Sinterklaas).

After Christmas Mass, Christians in Kampung Tugu will visit the cemetery next to their local church and start the rabo-rabo tradition.

[7] In the Papua region, after Christmas Mass, a ritual cooking of pork for feasting is held using a Barapen (grilling stone).

The cuci negeri starts with a gathering in the community function hall for each clan to hold their own traditional ritual.

Similar to Eid al-Fitr (lebaran) and Chinese New Year (imlek), during Christmas time, people visit friends and family; children may receive money in an envelope from elders.

[9][11] The pre-Christmas celebrations in Manado start from 1 December when the regional government officers go on the "Christmas Safari" and observe the Mass in a different district every day.

The series of Christmas celebrations will finish in the first week of January with a festival called kunci taon.

This festival consists of dancing, a culinary celebration, cultural carnival, bamboo music performance and handicraft exhibition.

[9][16] 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, who has Protestant background, to the then President of Indonesia Suharto.