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Christmas

Mainland tourists shop in Tsim Sha Tsui during Hong Kong’s “golden week” celebrating National Day. Photo: Nora Tam

Editorial | Challenges ahead for Hong Kong businesses after surge during golden week

City hotels, restaurants and retailers may have enjoyed the National Day holiday, but they need more than seasonal booms to survive.

Christmas comes 3 months early to crisis-hit Venezuela

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Explainer | Wedding bells behind bars? The Post examines rights for Hongkongers in jail

Hong Kong Lunar New Year bounce boosts restaurants, but 1 owner to shut outlets

Restaurateurs say Lunar New Year business ‘exceptionally good’, especially for Chinese restaurants.

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Diners pack a Mong Kok restaurant for lunch over the Lunar New Year holiday. Photo: Eugene Lee

Editorial | Time has arrived for Cathay Pacific to get back on course for sake of Hong Kong

Cancelled flights have done nothing for the reputation of the city or its flagship carrier, and there needs to be answers as well as an end to chaos.

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Hong Kong restaurants dealt double blow on New Year’s Eve by tourist trends

Catering industry registered HK$380 million in revenue on New Year’s Eve, compared with HK$420 million in 2022.

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Christmas box office takings slump as Hongkongers shun silver screen

Cinema industry chiefs say local box office takings reached HK$19.6 million from December 24 to 26, a drop of about 40 per cent from same period year before.

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Movie-goers at a cinema in Causeway Bay. Film industry chiefs have vowed to look into the reasons behind this Christmas’ poor box office takings. Photo: Sun Yeung

Japan store executive bows, ‘deeply’ sorry for delivering collapsed cakes

Takashimaya said more than 800 strawberry frill shortcakes were sent to customers with damage, and it would work with suppliers to prevent this from ever happening again.

Hongkongers make 1.3 million outbound trips in 3 days, beating pre-pandemic era

Number of departures by Hongkongers in the past three days rose by 20.9 per cent compared with the same period in 2018 and by 15.6 per cent over 2019 figures.

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UK’s King Charles urges compassion, care for environment in Christmas message

In a first for the tradition of royal seasonal messages, the monarch spoke beside a living Christmas tree that Buckingham Palace said would be replanted.

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Britain’s King Charles poses for a photo, during the recording of his Christmas message at Buckingham Palace on December 7. Photo: AP

Israel PM visits Gaza vows to ‘intensify’ fighting; heckled by hostage families

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Gaza on Monday and vowed to expand the military operation, and says the war “isn’t close to finished”.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he visited Gaza on Monday and that Israel would intensify their fighting. Photo: EPA-EFE/Pool

In Christmas message, pope begs for end to Israel’s Gaza campaign

Francis devoted his Christmas Day blessing to a call for peace in the world, noting that the biblical story of the birth of Christ in Bethlehem sent a message of peace.

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Israel-Gaza war, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine cast shadow over Christmas

Israel’s war with Hamas and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine cast a shadow over one of the world’s favourite holidays.

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Chinese state media urge citizens to remember Christmas Eve Korean war victory

Broadcaster stirs patriotism with viral video about Battle of Lake Changjin, also known as Battle of Chosin Reservoir, which ended on December 24, 1950, and is considered a pivotal moment in China’s fight against US and its allies in Korean conflict.

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The viral video features clips from the 2021 domestic film The Battle of Lake Changjin, starring Jackson Yee (left) and Wu Jing. Photo: Handout

Palestinians feel ‘no joy’ as Israel bombs Gaza on Christmas

Festivities were effectively scrapped in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, revered as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. In the besieged Gaza Strip, Israeli strikes had killed at least 18 people.

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Palestinian youth members of the scouting movement hold up banners condemning and calling for an end of the conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Palestinian militant Hamas in the biblical city of Bethlehem. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong countryside, festive activities draw crowds of Christmas Day revellers

People hit hiking trails of Tai Lam Country Park to celebrate holiday, while city leader urges people ‘to care for individuals from different backgrounds’.

Hong Kong catering industry ‘suffers 11% drop in business’ on Christmas Eve

Hong Kong catering chief says estimated turnover for industry on Christmas Eve was HK$380 million, lower than last year’s tally of HK$430 million.

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Home from Home | Overcooked turkey, rock-hard sprouts – hopefully not my UK Christmas lunch

This is Cliff Buddle’s first English Christmas in his own home since leaving Hong Kong and the main event will be the much maligned traditional lunch – hopefully his family will create something edible.

Christmas turkeys are often overcooked and dry, Cliff Buddle says - he hopes his family will do better for his traditional UK Christmas lunch. Photo: Getty Images

‘Tonight our hearts are in Bethlehem,’ pope says in Christmas mass

Francis did not mention Israel or Gaza by name, but he made numerous references to violence and war during the mass at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome and attended by some 6,500 people.

Ukraine’s Zelensky sends Christmas warning: ‘In the end, darkness will lose’

In a video message, Zelensky thanked Ukrainian soldiers who are spending Christmas in the trenches at the front line, telling them ‘evil will be defeated’.

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US-Canada military ‘tracks’ Santa Claus for 68th year

North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) created a 3D, interactive website at www.noradsanta.org showing Santa and his reindeer on their imagined worldwide delivery route.

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Norad’s Santa Tracker shows Father Christmas and his reindeer. Photo: Norad via AP

Austria detains 3 suspected Islamists amid security fears in Vienna and Germany

German police are carrying out strict controls at the cathedral in Cologne following a ‘danger warning’ for New Year’s Eve.

Police officers stand in front of St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna on Sunday following indications of a possible attack plan by a terrorist group. Photo: dpa

How Ukraine independence song inspires Christmas tune in ‘Home Alone’ film

Mykola Leontovych, the composer of the song, was shot dead in 1921 by a Soviet agent, according to Ukraine’s culture ministry.

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‘We feel sad’: Sombre Bethlehem marks Christmas with vigil as Israel bombs Gaza

And in place of the usual nativity scene, representing the holy family, Bethlehem churches this year placed the models amid rubble and barbed wire in solidarity with the people of Gaza.

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No Christmas cheer for Hong Kong restaurants as patrons head across the border

Restaurant operators say festive menus, offers and social media ads aren’t pulling in patrons this year.

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Hong Kong restaurant operators are worried that people will either stay at home for Christmas or head across the border to dine. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Editorial | This Christmas can be just like the ones we used to know

After three years when traditional festivities were curtailed due to the pandemic, the Christmas spirit can once again be enjoyed to the full in Hong Kong.

Visitors enjoy the Christmas spirit in the WinterFest 2023 setup at West Kowloon Cultural District. Photo: SCMP/Yik Yeung-man

Video | A battle of the Santas when Christmas first came to China

Christmas didn’t take off in mainland China until the 1990s when the country was well on its way to opening up following the economic reforms of former leader Deng Xiaoping.

Dreaming of a Hong Kong Christmas? City rolls out festive markets, decorations

Christmas is only a few days and Hong Kong is celebrating with giant trees, music, the arts and some festive markets.

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Christmas
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Christmas. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
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