An Indonesian Take on Christmas

Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani | December 17, 2010

Christmas is just around the corner. While it is certainly not Indonesian in origin, more and more people in Jakarta are celebrating the holiday by shopping for gifts, spending time with loved ones and decorating their homes. But just because Christmas is not Indonesian does not mean we cannot give our Christmas decorations a uniquely Indonesian touch.

Christmas trees decorated with cookies in Surabaya.

“Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ,” said Paulus Lekenila, from Bumi Surya Decorations. “And he was not born at the North Pole or in the US either. So, normally the celebrations and decorations depend on each country’s unique traditions.”

This year, consider creating some Indonesian-inspired Christmas decorations that are creative and inexpensive to brighten up your home.

The Christmas tree is the traditional holiday centerpiece for most homes. But to make things more interesting, you can try making one yourself with used or recycled materials. It will definitely take more time, but it’s a fun holiday project that you and your loved ones can work on together.

You will need four or five boxes worth of used plastic water cups to create a Christmas tree approximately 1.2 meters tall. The first step is to wipe the cups clean and remove the labels. Draw a circle about 60 centimeters in diameter on a piece of cardboard and glue the cups, upside down, within the circle.

Place the next row, using fewer cups, on top of the first, and continue to create the classical conical shape of a Christmas tree.

You can also create your own star to go on top of the tree. All you need are a few red and green plastic straws, glued together, side by side. Twist the staws into the shape of a star or glue them together. Then cut a hole into the bottom of the plastic cup at the top of your tree, making sure it is just big enough to hold your tree topper up straight.

To decorate the body of the tree, you can cut figures of Santa, angels and candy canes from old Christmas cards and magazines and stick them onto the cups. As a final touch, drape a set of blinking Christmas lights on your tree.

“The clear plastic cups will reflect the lights beautifully at night,” Paulus said.

If you’re too busy to make your own Christmas tree, you can buy one at many of the department stores in town and decorate it in your own unique and personal way.

‘’Make it Indonesian by decorating it with materials from our own country,” said Anita Buntarman, an interior designer at Millennia Tata Aria.

For example, you can use bits and pieces of old batik to create colorful bows to adorn your tree. You can also hang some gold and silver wayang (Javanese shadow puppet) ornaments, which can be found at department stores around town.

“To make it more special, tie seashells together with thin wires and hang them on your Christmas tree,” said Suhaili, a designer at Satu Daun Interior.

“The glossy surface of the shells will sparkle beautifully when the Christmas tree is lighted.”

Instead of covering your Christmas tree with ribbons or tinsel, the interior designer suggested using shredded raffia in different colors. You can also use vibrantly colored textiles from Indonesia, such as songket or ulos, to cover the base of the tree.

Traditional fabrics are also great for making your own Christmas stockings to hang on the walls of your living room.

“It’s the creativity that counts,” Anita said. “When your friends and relatives come to visit, they’re going to be impressed by the unique and personal touch reflected in every Christmas decoration.”

Besides the living room, the dining room is also an important focal point in the house. For Christmas luncheons and dinners, you can decorate your dining table with a beautiful centerpiece made of red poinsettias and asparagus ferns.

“If you have a long dining table, you can put a large pot in the center and two smaller ones on either side,” Suhaili said.

To give it a touch of Indonesia, put a long strip of batik under the centerpiece as a table runner.

As for the napkins, Suhaili suggests tying each of them with a golden ribbon and a small bell. “The sound of the bell as guests untie their napkins to start lunch or dinner will make the occasion so much merrier,” she said.

To make the dining room even more vibrant and festive, you can also tie alternating red and green bows onto the back of each chair.

“Don’t be afraid to experiment,” Anita said. “Use your imagination with the items you find.

“I’m sure you’ll discover lots of fun and surprising ideas to decorate your home for Christmas.”