Christmas in Shanghai

A choir from our local school came to sing carols in the large foyer of the Ramada Plaza where we have our apartment. The children ranged from 6-16 and sang with beautiful harmonies to an engaged audience of parents and onlookers. The local school was in fact Dulwich College (one of three in China) teaching the UK national curriculum up to Year 6 and then the international GCSEs and the international baccalaureate. The choir were dressed in red silk tops and they represented a host of nations (there are 38 nationalities at Dulwich, Shanghai). Their singing was beautiful and as they sang "O Come let us adore him" I marvelled at the celebration of the Christmas event with traditional English carols (as well as modern Christmas songs) in front of a towering Christmas tree by children from such diverse backgrounds.
Ho, ho, ho! Here comes Father Priobioticmas!!The event was moving and is in sharp contrast to the commercial versions of Christmas that have appeared across Shanghai illustrated by the Christmas Yakkult packaging. This was brought to my attention by Matthew Crabbe in his excellent weekly Access Asia's Weekly Update with his amusing tagline, "Ho, hi, ho! Here comes Father Priobioctimas!". This kind of crass Christmas commercialism is also reflected in a recent China Daily advertorial for eBay: "Hip, Hip, eBay - Santa goes online". HaiboaShanghai's EXPO 2010 mascot, Hiaboa, has also been semi-Santa'd but why and what does it really mean to Chinese citizens? Of course, the challenge then comes back to the West about what the Christmas traditions really mean for us. Friends of ours celebrated the holy work of the great bishop, Sinter Klaas, on 6th December - the correct day to celebrate Santa Claus. On the 25th December the celebration of Christ mass is another celebration: "how silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given."