'Twas the night before Christmas

Walk around Hong Kong's bustling hangout hot spots on these still-balmy winter evenings, and you find Christmas jollity in full swing. Though for shopping malls and supermarkets here the season to be jolly started well before the Thanksgiving turkey leftovers were even disposed of, carols going "Jingle Bells" and "Fa la la la la" on an endless loop while you picked out the day's veggies.

This is likely the most popular festival around the world, not only because of baby Jesus in a manger but also everything else that it stands for, no matter what culture we belong to or adopt.

Think of the Christmas spirit and it's a time for joy and celebration, of a verdant tree all lit up against the wintry barrenness outdoors, its base laden with presents. It's about the coming together of families and friends, of kindness to strangers, Nativity scenes, and of course Santa Claus. Santa, or Father Christmas, is really the mascot of the season, especially for children, whether naughty or nice.