Every year , Ministry of Religious Affairs holds the '' ' National Christmas Celebration of the Republic of Indonesia ' '' . The program started in 1993 as 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 Soeharto . Since that , National Christmas Celebration has been held every year , except in 2004 , which was canceled as a condolence for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami , and in 2018 . Until 2013 , National Christmas Celebration was always held in Jakarta , the most common used venue was Jakarta Convention Center . But since 2014 , the tradition was changed by the newly-elected President of Indonesia Joko Widodo . This is the list of National Christmas Celebration hosts since 2014 :
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
Christmas in Indonesia