Dear Readers,

Every year we hear the same questions; should we say Merry Christmas in a Muslim nation? Will our Muslim friends be offended? And every year as we walk around the malls we see Christmas decorations and we hear Christmas songs, so I think the answer is clear; our Muslim friends are certainly capable of understanding that we are simply offering the greetings of the season and we obviously mean no offence. It would be very sad if Indonesian Muslims living in predominantly Christian countries could not openly celebrate Ramadhan, so I think it is safe to say we are all adults and we can all appreciate each other’s religious preferences without seeing them as a threat or an insult. As usual, it is probably overly sensitive people getting offended on behalf of other people.

This festive issue is designed to entertain you and inform you about all things “Christmas,” and some of our regular columns are presented with a slant towards the festive season. As usual we have tried to include something for everyone as far as space allows, but if you have any particular requests for 2019 please do let us know.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate and Happy Holidays to those who do not. May we all enjoy a well-earned break with our families and come back in January for the start of a healthy and prosperous 2019.

Happy reading!

Until next time,

Edo Frese