Christmas Hong Kong Style

I’m back home in Hong Kong for Christmas. I’m not sure what an American Christmas is like because I’ve never celebrated Christmas in the US, but this is how we do it in Hong Kong –

1) Lights!

Hong Kong is at its prettiest in December, because all the skyscrapers get dressed up in Christmas lights. I’m talking huge, garish neon Santas draped across 50-storey buildings. The holiday lights of suburban American neighborhoods pale in comparison.

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2) Shopping

Christmas in Hong Kong is more of a commercial event than a religious affair. All the stores stay open on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. Here’s a photo of upscale shopping mall Pacific Place at 7pm on the 24th, still teeming with people taking advantage of the holiday sales.

3) Partying

Christmas in Hong Kong is a great time for partying. Thousands of people congregate in Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong’s bar & club district. Apparently Santa is also a patron of Lan Kwai Fong. Here he is drunk and doublefisting his beer.

And here’s Mrs. Claus in her fishnet stockings and minidress.

4) Carolers, wtf?

Christmas carolers are a rare sight in Hong Kong, but I happened to come across a church choir singing carols on the Mid-Levels Escalator (Hong Kong’s 800-meter long commuter escalator). They’re wearing short-sleeved shirts because it’s a balmy 20°C / 68°F outside.

5) Dinner with the family

This probably isn’t a typical Hong Kong Christmas dinner, but since my mom is Japanese and my dad is Chinese, we usually eat a hodgepodge meal of Chinese, Japanese, and Western food. Tonight’s Christmas dinner consisted of:
- Raw oysters
- Smoked salmon
- Chinese roast goose
- Chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg with mushrooms, vegetables, shrimp, chicken)
- Rotisserie chicken
- White rice
- Christmas fruit flan

Merry Christmas from Hong Kong!