A week after Muslims end their Idul Fitri celebrations, Christians throughout the world celebrate Christmas. Christmas Eve services in some churches will start at 7 o'clock in the evening, and hotels such as the Radisson, Oberoi, Grand Hyatt among others have set up decorations made from young banana leaves as well as the more usual Christmas trees. As a priest explained to us, plenty of people have decided to spend their Christmas in Bali due to the island's reputation as a safe and secure holiday destination.

Many of Bali's Hindu population regard Christmas as the equivalent of their Galungan celebration, one of the most important festivals in the Hindu calendar. Villages in the northern part of Bali with a largely Christian population install the long decorative bamboo poles, known as 'penjor' in front of their house compounds - just as Hindus do all over the island during Galungan & Kuningan.

The harmony between Balinese Christian and Hindus can be seen in Sawan Village, Buleleng Regency, in which the Christian people refer to Christmas Day as "Galungan Kristen" (Galungan Day for Christians). Moreover, on Christmas day, Hindus also visit Christian people and bring presents of sugar, rice, and other basic needs. Likewise, Christian people in Bali respect the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan by refraining from noisy celebrations in the presence of predominantly Moslem areas.

The religious harmony so prevalent in Bali is just one example of why the island has such a powerful reputation as a haven of peace in an otherwise turbulent world.