There's room at the inn for carol singers
The tradition of singing Christmas carols is alive and well in Hong Kong.
And it has been helped by the Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel, which invited the Singapore International School choir to sing at its tree-lighting ceremony for the fifth year running.
The 50 pupils in the choir filled the hotel's halls with Christmas classics along with a rendition of Jingle Bells in French.
'We want to celebrate Christmas in a traditional way,' said Wolfgang Krueger, the hotel's area general manager.
In this season of giving, nothing beats the tradition of helping the less fortunate.
And the Kowloon Shangri-La will be raising money to help Operation Santa Claus (OSC) for the eighth year.
It is selling personalised glass Christmas tree baubles and colourful glassware such as coasters and business-card holders, handmade by glassmaking artists from the Rainbow Mosaics studio.
'We hope that by working with such an established charitable organisation as OSC, we can encourage our guests to donate because they know where their donations ultimately go,' Krueger said.
The hotel will also extend the Christmas cheer by hosting a glass bauble painting workshop for children and their families from the Po Leung Kuk Tin Ka Ping Harmony Land for Families - a community centre that brings the young and old together - next Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Katterwall music group and law firm Linklaters also organised their annual carolling events to raise funds for OSC, and both saw big crowds gathering to join in the festive fun.
About 250 people congregated in the Lan Kwai Fong amphitheatre last Monday with Katterwall to sing classics such as Hark the Herald Angels Sing and children's favourites like Frosty the Snowman.
This year - the fifth time the music group has donated to OSC - also saw the addition of a brass band.
'Thankfully, none of our neighbours complained,' joked Katterwall general manager Celia Leung.
The group raised money by selling carol booklets.
'Because our carollers are becoming more familiar with this event, they know to bring a tablecloth to put on the ground for the whole family to sit on. And we even brought accessories to decorate the amphitheatre,' Leung said.
Long-time OSC supporter Linklaters led about 400 people in a carol service with other solicitors on Thursday at St John's Cathedral, a tradition that began in 1992.
This year, the number of participating law firms doubled to 20 and all proceeds from tickets went to OSC.
Jointly organised by the South China Morning Post and RTHK, Operation Santa Claus has supported more than 100 charities since it was founded in 1988.
This year, it will raise money for 16 Hong Kong charities.
How you can give
Donate online by credit card at osc.scmp.com
Donations can be made at ATMs or at any branch of HSBC: account number 502-676299-001 for SCMP CHARITIES LTD-OPERATION SANTA CLAUS
You can make a donation by cheque, payable to 'SCMP CHARITIES LTD-OPERATION SANTA CLAUS' and mail to: Operation Santa Claus, Morning Post Centre, 22 Dai Fat Street, Tai Po Industrial Estate, New Territories, Hong Kong
Donations of HK$100 or more are tax-deductible. If you would like a tax receipt, please send the completed donation form and original bank receipt with your name, address and phone number to the address above.
Contact us via e-mail at [email protected], telephone 2680 8159 or visit us online at osc.scmp.com