Christmas Amid COVID-19... Tree Decorated with Masks and Hand Sanitizers at Indonesian Cathedral

"Purpose to Raise Awareness and Encourage Compliance with Health Guidelines"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a church in Indonesia has attracted attention by decorating its Christmas tree with masks and hand sanitizers to raise awareness ahead of Christmas.

According to Antara News Agency on the 21st, a church in Surabaya, Indonesia, specially created a 3-meter Christmas tree over the course of a week. The masks and hand sanitizers used for the decorations were donated by local residents. The church official said, "This year's tree aims to make citizens aware of COVID-19 and to encourage strict adherence to health guidelines," adding, "We built the frame with bamboo, and both church members and Muslim local residents decorated the tree with masks and hand sanitizers."

Indonesia does not have an official state religion but guarantees freedom for six religions: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Among these, Islam has the largest number of followers, but Protestant and Catholic believers, who make up about 10%, celebrate Christmas.

Indonesia's daily confirmed COVID-19 cases have been increasing by more than 5,000 to 7,000 each day. The cumulative number of confirmed cases stands at 664,930, with a total of 19,880 deaths. Foreign media reported that Indonesian authorities have urged people not to hold Christmas and New Year events due to the rapid spread of COVID-19.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.