A HONG KONG KIND OF DECEMBER
香港的
It’s not Christmas until you’ve had an eggnog and listened to some bad music – here’s where to do it in Hong Kong
香港12月
手上一杯蛋酒，耳畔聽著聖誕歌，好好享受城中各種佳節活動
‘OH, THE WEATHER
outside is frightful,’ sang regular Hong Kong visitor Frank Sinatra, but probably not about the Hong Kong climate. December is one of the territory’s loveliest months: low humidity and balmy days. The last time it snowed (a flake or two in the New Territories) was in 1975. It hasn’t hit 0°C since 1893.
But when has that ever stopped us having a traditional Christmas?
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by visiting the Christmas tree trussed up in Central’s Statue Square (part of the month-long WinterFest) or ride the Star Ferry at night to see the Victoria Harbour skyscrapers decked out in illuminated Santa sleds and holly. In Tsim Sha Tsui, there’s the Peninsula’s gargantuan Christmas tree (1) to gawp at.
In Stanley, It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
with a Finland-themed Christmas market (2) – expect live music, gifts and delicacies like leipäjuusto
(baked cheese), pickled herring and some of the world’s purest vodka.
Tchaikovsky’s Christmassy ballet – The Nutcracker (3) – is performed by HK Ballet this month, at the Cultural Centre (15-26 December); where the HK Phil also puts on musical Christmas (23-24 December) celebrations.
It isn’t exactly ‘chestnuts roasting on an open fire,’ but you can find mini mince pies at PMQ’s Aberdeen Street Social (4), bourbon eggnog at Pacific Place’s Commissary,
cinnamon drinks at Wan Chai’s The Optimist (5) and Balinese-style rum punch at Potato Head (6) in Sai Ying Pun. And then there’s the Sh*t Knit party, every Wednesday in December at Sheung Wan’s 208 Duecento Otto. Come along, wear your worst Christmas jumper, listen to the Now That’s What I Call Christmas! compilation and you might win a magnum of Veuve Clicquot.
Not Driving Home for Christmas? One colleague swears by the Mandarin Oriental’s takeaway turkey, while Classified’s Christmas hampers – which include gingerbread, mulled wine mix and mince pies – will also warm bellies.
And if it all goes a bit Last Christmas, there are still options: Zuma’s mulled wine, oysters and roasted turkey brunch on Christmas Day, or a giant party in Lan Kwai Fong
on Christmas Eve. One thing’s for sure: it likely won’t be a White Christmas. 昔日是香港常客的歌星Frank Sinatra曾唱過一首叫做《Let It Snow》的歌，第一句歌詞是：「噢，外面的天氣真惱人！」講的應該不是香港的天氣吧。這裡的12月和暖而乾爽，氣候十分怡人。香港對上一次落雪，已是1975年的事了，而且只是在新界北部飄下幾片雪花而已。自從1893年以來，這裡的氣溫從未試過降到攝氏0度。
即使沒有寒冬白雪，我們仍可過一個傳統的聖誕節。
傳統的聖誕節，絕不能沒有聖誕樹，不妨到皇后像廣場欣賞裝飾得金碧輝煌的巨型聖誕樹（這是為期一個月的香港繽紛冬日節的節目之一），或者晚上乘搭天星小輪，欣賞維港兩岸多幢摩天大樓上掛著的聖誕燈飾，砌出聖誕老人、冬青葉等各種節日圖案。位於尖沙咀的 半島酒店門前，亦擺設了矚目的巨型聖誕樹 。
想體驗更濃厚的聖誕氣氛，可到赤柱的芬蘭式聖誕市集（ 2）逛逛。除了現場音樂表演外，市集還有各式精品，以及
leipäjuusto（焗芝士）、醃鯡魚和全球純度最高的伏特加等地道芬蘭美食。
聖誕傳統節目之一是去看柴可夫斯基的芭蕾舞劇《胡桃夾子》(3)，由香港芭蕾舞團演出，本月15至26日於文化中心上演；香港管弦樂團亦舉行聖誕音樂會（ 12月23至24日），與樂迷共度佳節。
美食亦是歡度節日不可或缺的。往PMQ元創方的
Aberdeen Street Social (4)餐廳，可以嚐到迷你聖誕乾果批；在太古廣場的Commissary餐廳則有以波本酒調製的蛋酒，灣仔的The Optimist (5)餐廳酒吧供應多款肉桂飲品，至於西營盤的餐廳酒吧Potato Head(6)則供應峇里風味的冧酒賓治。而上環意式酒吧208 Duecento Otto在本月逢星期三晚會舉行Sh*t Knit派對，穿上你最難看的聖誕毛衣，一面聽著《Now That’s What I Call Christmas !》雜錦專輯，就有機會贏得一瓶巨型的
Veuve Clicquot香檳。
意猶未盡？文華東方酒店有火雞外賣，至於Classified餐廳的聖誕禮物籃，裡面有薑餅、可供煮酒的香料和聖誕乾果批，讓你的肚皮感到滿足。
想抓住聖誕節的尾巴？這裡為你提供兩個選擇：於聖誕節當天到中環的Zuma餐廳吃個有香料煮酒、生蠔和烤火雞的早午餐，或者於聖誕前夕在蘭桂坊舉行盛大派對。不過，有一點可以肯定的，就是你不會在這裡度過白色聖誕。