This is my second year celebrating Christmas in the UK, a cold and snowy place, contrasting the few years I have celebrated Christmas in a not-so-cold country. However, I still felt the Christmas feelings despite being used to celebrating in a hot country. Just like pictures and posters of what Christmas is like, I could finally feel the exact same feeling those decorations and snowy weather bring.

My country, Hong Kong, is a relatively hot country compared to the UK. There are some similarities during the Christmas season, such as drops in temperature, Christmas holidays from school and work, decorations in shops as well as different Christmas items or sales and activities to celebrate. However, there are differences between the celebrations in a hot country and those in a cold country. 

Firstly, there is an environmental difference when it comes to celebrating Christmas. Unlike those images showing people enjoying Christmas by playing in the snow or having a feast near the fireplace, there are not these sorts of things happening in a hot country. There is no snowy weather to enjoy or play with, and thus the feeling of Christmas might be less vibrant. The closest to snow I had encountered was bubble-like fake snow being released in theme parks or shopping malls during the Christmas period to try and make up for the lack of this Christmas feeling. Even though there was fake snow, this did not match the excitement of the real thing in the UK. 

Another difference is the Christmas meal. When celebrating Christmas in Hong Kong, people usually gather around for a meal together at a restaurant or just a simple meal at home, an easy way to celebrate the arrival of Christmas. The UK seems to be different, with most gathering for an extravagant dinner on Christmas day, or enjoying a hot drink while sitting by the fireplace.

The events are one of the main differences when it comes to the celebrations of Christmas. From what I have observed, cold countries like the UK start preparing for Christmas almost immediately after Halloween ends. There are also lots of different traditions, like eating turkey for the Christmas meal, secret Santa and exchanging presents. In countries like Hong Kong, there are not as many Christmas traditions. People only prepare a few weeks before the arrival of Christmas, while exchanging gifts is uncommon.

Lastly, there is a difference in how people think about Christmas in Hong Kong and the UK. Most people in Hong Kong might not take Christmas that seriously compared to people in the UK. There are lots of activities planned during Christmas in the UK, like exchanging gifts or placing stockings for Santa to bring presents. There are significantly fewer celebrations and activities in Hong Kong compared to cold countries.

Therefore, celebrating Christmas in a hot versus a cold country has great differences. Even though Christmas in Hong Kong is not as immersive as in the UK, the surrounding atmosphere still allows you to enjoy the holiday and Christmas feeling.

Read more Christmas travel articles here:

https://www.redbrick.me/christmas-markets-around-the-world/

https://www.redbrick.me/edinburgh-the-epitome-of-the-festive-spirit/

https://www.redbrick.me/christmas-traditions-in-chile/