Many get into the holiday spirit during Christmas time in China. Today, all the trappings of a Western Christmas can be found in a Chinese Christmas. Lauren Mack is a journalist who covers Chinese culture and history. She studied Mandarin Chinese in Beijing and Taipei and has written christmas village trees Newsweek International, Elle Girl, and the Chicago Tribune.

Starting in late November, many department stores are decorated with Christmas trees, twinkling lights, and festive decorations. Malls, banks, and restaurants often have Christmas displays, Christmas trees, and lights. Large shopping malls help usher in Christmas in China with tree lighting ceremonies. Store clerks often wear Santa hats and green and red accessories. For spectacular holiday light displays and fake snow, head to the Western theme parks in Hong Kong, such as Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park.

At home, families opt to have a small Christmas tree. Also, a few homes have Christmas lights strung outside their houses or light candles in the windows. It’s not uncommon to see a Santa Claus at malls and hotels across Asia. Children often have their picture taken with Santa, and some department stores can coordinate a visit from a gift-bearing Santa to people’s homes. Instead of elves, he is often accompanied by his sisters, young women dressed as elves or in red and white skirts. In Hong Kong, Santa is called Lan Khoong or Dun Che Lao Ren.

Ice skating is available year-round at indoor rinks throughout Asia, but special places to ice skate during Christmas in China are Weiming Lake at Peking University in Beijing and Houkou Swimming Pool Leisure Rink, which is a massive swimming pool in Shanghai that is converted into an ice rink in the winter. Snowboarding is also available in Nanshan, outside of Beijing. A variety of performances, including touring productions of “The Nutcracker,” are often staged in major cities during the Christmas season in China. The International Festival Chorus holds annual performances in Beijing and Shanghai. A variety of touring shows are staged in Hong Kong and Macau each year.

Check Time Out Hong Kong for details. Shopping sprees in the weeks leading up to Christmas are popular in China. A growing number of Chinese celebrate on Christmas Eve by eating Christmas dinners with friends. Traditional Christmas dinners are readily available at hotel restaurants and Western restaurants. An East-meets-West Christmas dinner can also be had during Christmas in China. Chinese version of a stuffed turkey. It is a whole duck stuffed with diced chicken, smoked ham, peeled shrimp, fresh chestnuts, bamboo shoots, dried scallops and mushrooms stir-fried with slightly undercooked rice, soy sauce, ginger, spring onions, white sugar, and rice wine.