Despite being a nation of Buddhists, the Vietnamese throw themselves into Christmas celebrations with as much verve - if not as much biblical know-how - as any God-fearing Christian, writes Bradley Winterton.
There is nothing quite like Christmas Eve in Saigon, as Ho Chi Minh City is still commonly called. It starts quietly.
The resplendent French-built Notre Dame Cathedral's midnight mass begins at 10pm. I am staying just outside the city centre and plan to set off for the centrally located cathedral on a motorbike taxi shortly after nine. In the meantime, I have to deal with the hotel's Christmas party.
My hotel, Le Trung, is a congenial, family-run place with a dozen or so rooms and a dramatic hoist, operated by remote control, for lifting luggage from the lobby up to the sixth floor. Guests, however, can avail themselves of no such assistance and must use the stairs, adding good exercise to the reasonable price of the rooms.
The general ambience is that of a 1950s provincial Spanish hostelry - marble steps, a banister of polished wood, quiet rooms, some of them looking out onto a garden from which a caged bird sings. From the window, it's possible to see a rooftop shrine to the Virgin Mary, potted chrysanthemums and some clothing hanging out to dry on a balcony. It's a picture of placid contentment, added to by the mild and dry weather southern Vietnam routinely enjoys at this time of year.
Coming down the hotel stairs just after 6pm, the lobby has been transformed. Tables are set and an abundance of food and drink is being given the finishing touches. 'There's a party at seven,' says one of the brothers who helps run the place. 'Please come.' He is already dressed in his best.