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Olivier Elzer

Christmas with Hong Kong movers and shakers

Whether it's decorating the tree together or helping the young ones write a wish list for Santa, we all have our Christmas rituals. CitySeen asks some of the city's movers and shakers about their favourite festive activities

 

For me, Christmas is a very important religious festival and we take it seriously in France. I always spent it with my family when I was little. We would put up the tree, prepare gifts for each other and get together for a big family meal. It was also a special time of the year for visiting amusement parks and museums. Now that I'm away from home, I spend it with my friends here in Hong Kong. We go gift shopping together, enjoy the Christmas lights and have a great dinner at home.

The best thing for me at Christmas is that most of our family are together and we have fun. My son and I love preparing the barbecue. Once we are satisfied with the fire, we put the stuffed turkey on and close the top so it slow cooks for up to three hours. Popping the first bottle of champagne is a tradition my son and I do as well, which he loves. Sitting together eating, chatting and laughing makes everything so worthwhile and brings everyone that much closer because everyone has to help with something. Then there is Christmas morning and waking the kids to see if Father Christmas drank his milk and ate his biscuits - and, of course, the excitement of opening presents.

I love wrapping gifts and decorating the house. I pump up my Christmas music and make an evening of it. It's a great break from the chaos of the season, and bringing out the ornaments always reminds me of previous years. Stockings are my favourites, probably because they look so pretty, but they also hold great surprises. This year, I've had beautiful red velvet stockings personalised for my family. The best part is finding little treats to put inside. Afterwards, I'll watch the 1966 cartoon version of . It's one of my favourite movies.

Christmas is probably a good time for me to finally catch up on some good sleep. I'd love to have a getaway during the holidays, but for me, it's all about the family. We don't really have a traditional turkey, ham and eggnog Christmas feast, but we have some really traditional Chinese food because my parents like only Chinese cuisine.

Gathering with friends and family is the main thing for me during Christmas, as corny as it sounds. The Christmas dinner is what I am most looking forward to. My favourite dishes are turkey and roast chicken. I don't cook. I'm not sure if anyone wants to try my cooking. We're getting Matt Abergel [owner of Yardbird] to cook this year. I think it will be a big dinner with more than 20 friends and relatives.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Chinese or Western, it's all great
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