For years, Indonesia’s Chinese community did not celebrate New Year. In 1967, then military dictator General Suharto issued a decree (Inpres Number 14/1967) outlawing every Chinese cultural practice in the land. The decision was taken after an attack by the Indonesian Communist Party that left seven top army officials dead on 30 September 1965. By the stroke of a pen, age-old Chinese practices and traditions were banned from the archipelago, including ‘Imlek’ (aka Sincia’) or Lunar New Year.
In 2000, in a courageous and surprising move, then reform-minded President Abdurrahman Wahid (aka “Gus Dur”) repealed the ban, allowing Indonesian-Chinese to celebrate once again their holidays, using their traditional garments and rituals.
Since then, interest in things Chinese has increase. The number of people studying Mandarin has grown exponentially whilst interest in traditional Chinese dances, like the Dance of the Dragon, has equally jumped.
For all intents and purposes, Imlek has been a national holiday for the past three years. Schools in Jakarta and West Kalimantan, where most Chinese live, close for the occasion to allow families to meet and celebrate.
Jakarta’s Catholic Chinese community celebrated a Mandarin-style Mass with traditional costumes and colours. In a special homily, the priest explained the true meaning of the lunar year.
In St James’ Parish, northern Jakarta, three priests held a two-hour service in the presence of thousands of parishioners. Hundreds more stood in the church’s courtyard and adjacent areas.
During the homily, the priest urged the faithful to “feel courageous looking at Christ and bear witness with pride to the Catholic faith.”
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