Back in Hong Kong and just before Christmas holiday. Got to ask some friends in my business trip what people in Hong Kong and China do for this big holiday.
Have you spent a Christmas in Hong Kong or China? Well – in Hong Kong it is celebrated, whereas if you’re in Mainland China it is like another day of the week!
As a “cross-border” business dude (maybe a new tagline?) its like a hyper lapse to a different culture. Especially in Christmas time, every mall in Hong Kong has Christmas music on and decked out with Christmas trees and other decor. While Shenzhen is steadily putting more and more Christmas culture into it, the people still don’t understand what it is all about really and the day itself (December 25) doesn’t recognize it.
I have gotten older and less sensitive to treating holidays like they were when I was a kid – but of course I still has those flashbacks of the Christmas tree, the heat on at the house, the stockings on the chimney (well, the fake heater), the food, the snow.
Down in South China, you’ll see some Christmas trees. But I don’t miss the cold, except that day of first snowfall – that is pretty cool!
So during my video blog, I asked around what people do for the holidays – and its basically hanging out with friends and family – or shopping.
Then again, what do people back in my hometown really do? Shopping is a given, need to guess what gifts to get your friends and they guess what gifts to get you. Then there is the day hanging out with the family eating and watching sports or movies on TV.
The friends and family back home, that is the hardest part about being here, I miss them so much.
And now with a wife and kids in China, I wonder what is in store for their memories of this holiday. I’ll be happy and jolly daddy, we’ll go to a nice hotel for a Christmas Eve dinner, and enjoy it.
But I don’t think Miles will believe in Santa Claus!