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Joyce Siu

Christmas is the most commercial holiday of the year. But you don't have to spend a fortune to get festive. SYP has found some fun holiday activities.

Hong Kong Winterfest (below) is in full swing at the heart of Central, where Statue Square and Charter Garden have been transformed into a European-style Christmas town.

The event, organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, features a dazzling 35-metre tall Christmas tree and an array of family activities.

There will be live performances, such as carol singing, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Children aged  six to 11 can learn to make their gingerbread men at Santa's Workshop.

At Santa's Post Office,  you can have your holiday greetings posted on the giant screen in front of the Snowy Chapel.

Christmas's most famous fun icon is Santa Claus. Lee Gardens Two and Lee Theatre Plaza in Causeway Bay are presenting the bearded fellow's history, starting from 1900. Children will be given a free Christmas stocking if they collect five Santa  chops from designated locations where stories about Santa are displayed.

Choir performances, Christmas science workshops and storytelling will be held today and Christmas Eve. You can also get your caricature drawn for free from 2.30pm to 4pm today at 3/F, Lee Gardens Two.

If you want to create your own festive drawings today, Telford Plaza in Kowloon Bay is offering students the opportunity to sketch with the help of a gifted artist from 2.30pm to 4pm.

You may not know who Stephen Wiltshire is, but you will be amazed by his meticulous drawings. The 31-year-old Briton (left) was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. But  he possesses an extraordinary talent to draw  accurately detailed pictures of a subject after just one look. During his visit to Hong Kong, Wiltshire drew a skyline of the Victoria Harbour after a helicopter trip.

For an unusual entertainment experience,  head down to Langham Place in Mongkok and look for the 500 square foot glass box called the Urban Dream Capsule (above).

Living inside are four eccentric street artists from Australia who have turned their daily  mundane chores - such as eating and cooking - into slapstick gymnastics, dance and  comedic drama. The enclosed box is fitted out with a bedroom, dining room, kitchen and toilet and will be home to the  four until January 3.

Characters of the festive type will be led by Santa Claus in a parade at Festival Walk in Kowloon from 7.30pm to 8.45pm today, and also from Wednesday to Sunday.

The Christmas characters (below),  portrayed by international acrobats, will perform magic tricks, unicycle stunts, dancing and singing.

Mime artist Norras Choi will perform at the mall as a living statue from 3pm to 5pm at the same dates. Dressed in platinum costumes and coloured with platinum skin paint, Choi will alternate between standing still and performing animatedly.

'Sometimes people will touch me to see if I'm a real man or just a statue because I can pose motionless for 20 minutes,' Choi said.

Another mime show at Cityplaza in Taikoo Shing will be performed by international mime artist Jason Maverick, who will stage his award-winning Human Statues act. Maverick will dress as a Viking warrior and hold each of his poses for at least 15 minutes.

If a day of festive activities has left your sweet tooth longing for a treat, visit one of the new Haagen-Dazs stores - at Star House in Tsim Sha Tsui or Excelsior Plaza in Causeway Bay - on Tuesday, from 1pm to 2pm. To celebrate the new stores' opening, visitors will get a mini ice cream  for free.



Get festive for free