This is where every store has a set of Christmas lights, thou­sands of sparks dan­gling from the awnings. This is where the sub­way is packed with peo­ple, all wear­ing their par­ty clothes, try­ing to meet up with their friends and fam­i­ly. Where the cross har­bour build­ings have gigan­tic, mov­ing pic­tures on their sides, cre­at­ed from intri­cate­ly set lights and timers. Where there’s eupho­ria in the air and shop­ping bags in hand. This is where the jew­ellery store guards have trad­ed in their berets for san­ta hats.

This is Christmas in Hong Kong.