True to Hong Kong's multicultural roots, the city celebrates the Christmas season in countless different ways. For many, it is a time to mark the winter solstice and be with family. For the sizable minority who are Christian, December 25 is one of the most significant days on their religious calendar and a time to reflect on the foundations of their faith. To just about everyone, the season is a time of festivity, charity and hope.
As a society where a consumer culture dominates, it is perhaps inevitable that Christmas is also known as a season for spending. And thanks to a stronger-than-expected revival of the city's fortunes, this Christmas should be a merry one for retailers and restaurateurs. After pulling through a difficult year that began with rumours of an epidemic just over the border and progressed to a near-standstill in commerce, people will probably be in a mood to buy.
Even as they spend on themselves and their families, many in Hong Kong will also be digging deep to help the less fortunate. A case in point is the Operation Santa Claus appeal co-sponsored by this paper. After raising more than $4.5 million so far, this year's campaign could well break all previous records. For all the poise that this city has shown through the ups and downs of the past 12 months, and for the generosity people continue to exhibit, Hong Kong really does have something to celebrate.
Our very own Yuletide controversy this year has centred around the flashing, multicoloured tree prominently displayed in Central. The jury is still out on whether it is a postmodern work of art or simply an abomination. It certainly meets one of the prime requirements for Christmas decorations in Hong Kong - being big enough and bright enough to be seen from across the harbour. The disagreement, however, is another sign that civic debate here is as spirited as it has ever been. Just months ago, the same spot was occupied by thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators. It can only be hoped that when controversy arises again, the people of Hong Kong will remember the ideals that embodied the season, including hope, faith and goodwill.
Beyond Hong Kong's borders, this year has brought war in Iraq and the continued threat of terrorist attacks. Even with the recent capture of Saddam Hussein, the country he once ruled is still a long way from seeing peace and stability. Elsewhere in the Middle East, a Palestinian uprising continues amid diminished hopes for peaceful coexistence with Israel. In North Korea, we have a neighbour whose nuclear ambitions have the potential to undo decades of regional economic and diplomatic progress. The United Nations, with its mandate to promote multinational co-operation, is looking hard at how it can accomplish this in the face of threats that could not have been imagined when the UN was created more than half a century ago.
As a city with open borders and international ties, Hong Kong will be extending its hopes and prayers that progress can be made. In Libya, which only last week renounced its plans to produce weapons of mass destruction, after years of international pressure, we have a sign that progress is not impossible.
