How SEA Does Christmas – And How It’s “Deck The Hulls” Time This Season
Some countries centre their celebrations around food while others have extended periods of being jolly.


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If you have ever been curious about how our Southeast Asian neighbours celebrate Christmas, we can tell you that they’re all quite different.
The number of Christians who celebrate Christmas vary country to country in the Asian region, not to mention the different ways each culture celebrates the holidays as well.
Here’s what we found on how other Asian countries celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.
China

Since Christians make up only about 3 to 5 percent of the population in China, most people are only vaguely familiar with Christmas.
Christmas is only frequently observed in large cities as a result. Christmas trees, lights, and other decorations can be found in department stores and on the streets of these large cities.
In Chinese, Happy/Merry Christmas is ‘Sheng Dan Kuai Le’ (圣诞快乐) and ‘Seng Dan Fai Lok’ (聖誕快樂). Santa is known as ‘Sheng dan lao ren’ (Traditional: 聖誕老人, Simplified: 圣诞老人; means Old Christmas Man).
Fun fact: Not many homes in China have Christmas trees BUT most of the world’s plastic Christmas trees and decorations are made in China.
On Christmas Eve, people give apples wrapped in colored paper, as Chinese Christmas Eve is called “Ping’an Ye” (平安夜), meaning peaceful or quiet evening.
Carol singing and attending special services, such as Midnight Mass, are also popular among Chinese Christians.
Indonesia

About 10% of Indonesians are Christians, which still amounts to about 20 million people, despite the fact that the majority of the country’s population (about 85%) is Muslim.
On Christmas Eve and Day, Indonesian Christians typically attend church services. Nativity scenes are made and used as part of the Nativity theatrical performance in the majority of churches and cathedrals.
Indonesia celebrates Christmas with artificial plastic trees, real pine trees, and feather trees made from chicken feathers. Large Christmas trees are found in shopping malls and cities across the country, with a large edible chocolate tree created in 2011.
Popular Christmas carols include ‘Malam Kudus’ and ‘Silent Night’, which are sung on Christmas Eve in churches. Indonesian television channels broadcast Christmas-themed musical concerts, with the government-owned channel ‘TVRI’ broadcasting an annual celebration event.
Santa Claus, known as ‘Sinterklas’, borrowed from the Dutch, are often seen in shopping malls.
Cookies are a must-have food during Christmas, with popular options including ‘Nastar’, ‘Kastengel’, and ‘Putri Salju’.
Happy/Merry Christmas in Indonesia is ‘Selamat Hari Natal’, and the phrase is also used in many languages.
Philippines

The Philippines celebrates Christmas for extended periods, with carols playing in shops starting in September.
The formal celebrations begin on 16 December with pre-dawn masses, ending on Christmas day. The celebrations continue until 1 January when Epiphany is celebrated.
The early masses are called ‘Misa de Gallo’ or ‘Simbang Gabi’ in Filipino. With 80% of Filipinos being Catholics, Christmas is the most important holiday in the country.
December is a cooler month, with the Philippines experiencing a mix of western and native Filipino traditions. Christianity gained popularity in the 1500s when missionaries from Portugal and Spain visited the area.
The Philippines has unique Christmas traditions, including the ‘parol’, a bamboo pole with a lighted star lantern, representing the Wise Men.
Christmas Eve is a significant event in the Philippines, with many people staying awake all night to hear the last mass and a midnight feast called Noche Buena.
This open house celebration includes traditional dishes like lechon, ham, fruit salad, rice cakes, sweets, steamed rice, and various drinks.
Santa R-Kayma Klaws, a 70-year-old Filipino citizen of Irish descent, has been spreading Christmas cheer among poor Filipino children for over 50 years. He owns the Philippines’ only reindeer farm at Mt. Isarog, open to the public for free.
The Philippines has eight major languages, and the phrase ‘Merry Christmas’ is spoken in Tagalog, Ilocano, Ilonggo, Sugbuhanon, Bicolano, Pangalatok, and Waray.
Singapore

Singapore celebrates Christmas with a significant number of Christians, with Christmas lights being a popular attraction on Orchard Road.
The Christmas Theme Park, ‘Christmas Wonderland’, is a popular destination for locals and tourists. Christmas trees are decorated with candy, ribbons, and teddy bears. St Andrew’s Cathedral features a Nativity Scene outside, and midnight church services are becoming more popular.
Popular Christmas foods include roast turkey, which can be flavored with ginger and chilli for a Singaporean twist. On New Year’s Eve, a fireworks display at Marina Bay is also a highlight.
Vietnam

Christmas Eve in Vietnam is often more significant than Christmas Day, as it is not an official public holiday and is often considered a holiday for Christians. In Ho Chi Minh city, young people often visit the city center, where there is a Catholic Cathedral.
The streets are filled with people, and cars are not allowed for the night. People celebrate by throwing confetti, taking pictures, and enjoying the Christmas decorations and lights of big hotels and department stores.
Vietnamese Christmas traditions have French influences, with all churches and some Christian homes featuring a nativity crib scene or ‘creche’. Many Catholic churches have large scenes with statues of Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, shepherds, and animals. In some areas of Ho Chi Minh city, people decorate their streets with big crib scenes.
Happy Christmas in Vietnamese is Chúc mừng Giáng Sinh, and the special Christmas Eve meal is called’reveillon’, with a ‘bûche de Noël’ (a chocolate cake in the shape of a log) as a dessert. Vietnamese people give presents of food, and a bûche de Noël is a popular gift.
Santa Claus is called ‘Ông già Noel’, meaning Christmas old man, due to the hot climate in Vietnam.
So how does Malaysia celebrate Christmas?

Comparatively, Christmas in Malaysia is pretty big, especially in the commercial sector. The Christian population is only 10% but many view Christmas as a fun time with parties, decorations, and presents.
Christmas Day is a national public holiday, and Christmas Eve is also a public holiday in Sabah.
Shopping malls display impressive decorations, including lights, Santas, reindeer, fake snow, and large Christmas trees. However, after Christmas Day, decorations are removed and the malls prepare for the New Year.
Restaurants often offer special Christmas menus, with Christmas Eve being the big day for dining, parties, and celebrating. Roast or fried chicken is the most popular dish, but people can also eat whatever they like.
Holiday displays are usually organized in towns and cities at midnight on Christmas Eve. Christians in Malaysia attend church services, either a Midnight Mass service on Christmas Eve or a service on Christmas Day.
Alternatively, Malaysians also spend their holidays at theme parks like Sunway Lagoon.
A nautical-themed Christmas at Sunway Lagoon

This year, Sunway Lagoon is offering visitors a special Christmas experience at their newly-launched night park Captain Quack Land which opened on 6 December.
Captain Quack Land features many new attractions including:
- Captain’s Theatre – A stage playing various nautical and submarine-themed shows.
- Lady’s Avenue – An area with up to 100 unique Captain Quack statues, each with their own distinct styles, personality, and charm.
- Rock climbing – A new rock climbing wall to challenge yourself (safely, of course)
- Gashapon – Rows of new Gashapon capsule machines by Bandai Namco, renowned Japanese manufacturer of mini collectibles.

Two new dining areas have opened as well:
- Captain’s Diner – Local Malaysian favourites and international fare are available here for visitors to indulge in a vibrant, nautical-themed environment.
- Captain’s Pier – For lighter bites and a cosy Christmas ambiance, visitors will find an array of tasty treates to enjoy with their loved ones.
Themed spaces are available now as well at the Lasso and Teepee Rooms in the park, offering premium settings for events and gatherings such as birthdays or team-building programmes.

In the spirit of Christmas, Santa Claus will also be making his rounds at the park to give away prizes.
Meanwhile, at the Lost Lagoon section of the park, the Himalaya mascot Himalayeti will be giving out Himalaya candy to all park-goers.
Check out all the shows and activities that will be happening at Sunway Lagoon this holiday season at their website, where you can also purchase tickets.
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