This will be our first Christmas in Hong Kong. In fact we won't be here as we're returning back to the promised land (Australia) for two weeks to watch my brother get married. Oh, and to enjoy two heady weeks of Sydney summertime. But Christmas is never about the day itself. More important is the build-up to the big day and it says a lot of the culture of a place on how it prepares. Australia is a predominately Christian country but religion does not play a major role in the lifestyle of the general Aussie population. This is probably because of the country's multicultural nature. Sure there are the Christmas and post-Christmas sales, the tinsel and tinned musak, the corny TV specials, the imitations of winter despite it being the middle of summer. But it remains relatively unobtrusive.

Hong Kong is different. Here there seems to be a much bigger fixation on Christmas and all things related. There are the lights strew over every high-rise of note in the city, all with various Season Greetings themes. The shopping malls have the same sales, the same fake trees, the same tinsel, the same musak. But there is an intensity to the approach of Christmas. It seems to be in the forefront of many people's minds and gift giving is a big thing at Christmas time for people here.

The Disneyland complex where I live has really got into the theme. There is a nativity scene set up next to the bus stop, complete with straw, manger, kings, virgins and messiahs. There are more fairy lights, stars, red and green banners and trees than is normal. The complex electricity bill must be reaching nuclear proportions. The staff are being forced the wear Santa hats. The musak has been switched to tinkle-y carols. Everyday for the past week there have been more and more decorations. Never before have so many been employed for so long for something so pointless.

Now being Jewish I may be especially sensitive to all of this. It doesn't really bother me either way. However I find it interesting how much more into Christmas people seem to be here in HK compared to other places. There is no doubt an intersection between the culture of Christmas and the culture of Hong Kong. In fact thinking about it the uniting theme is simple. Consumerism. Conspicuous consumption. The perfect marriage everything Christmas and Hong Kong are about.