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Story THAI A
Photos THAI A, SHUTTERSTOCK
The festive atmosphere of Christmas brings a lively spirit to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. As the final pages of the year’s calendar are about to turn, bright lights glow on ornately decorated Christmas trees everywhere. The vibrant and captivating holiday spirit can be found across Vietnam and in the major cities of Cambodia and Laos.
Christmas joy in Vietnam
In Hanoi, Christmas decorations are most vividly seen in the space in front of St. Joseph’s Cathedral. There, church members spend a whole month decorating the cathedral’s facade, setting up a Christmas tree and arranging the nativity scene with thousands of bright lights. While the traditional Christmas colors worldwide are red, green and white, in Vietnam, a land of diverse cultural sources and intersections, people freely beautify the space with a variety of decorative items. Young people wear fashionable outfits, children don little reindeer antlers, and adults dress in Santa Claus attire to distribute gifts. Religious belief is not a requirement, as everyone simply enjoys peaceful and happy holiday moments together.
However, the most interesting competitive spirit can be found in District 8 of Ho Chi Minh City, where each Christian community vies to decorate their nativity scenes to be the most brilliant, radiant and cozy.
We also can’t overlook how the youth in Vietnam celebrate Christmas. It’s not necessary to attend church services, as for non-Christians, just visitng the area outside a church can be an entertaining activity. Along with tourists from all over, young people enjoy heading to old quarters of the city, drinking beer, and snacking on light meals as a way of celebrating the holiday. Tastes can vary from Vietnamese dishes like snails to Western foods like steak and pizza as all enjoy worldly blessings with friends.
Christmas adorns the colors of Cambodia
In Cambodia, the story isn’t much different. Street decorations mainly are found in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, where giant Christmas trees stand tall in front of shopping center lobbies, hotels, restaurants and of course, St. George’s Church. However, as a predominantly Buddhist country, Christmas here mainly attracts tourists for leisure and entertainment, especially in Sisowath, the busiest Western quarter in Phnom Penh.
This buzz is even more amplified at the night market in Siem Reap. While angels may bring European children lots of sweet candies, in Cambodia, the blessings are shown through worldly pleasures like food, spas, bars and handicraft shops. Wrapping up in a scarf to ward off the cold breeze from Tonle Sap Lake, dipping ones’ feet in a fish tank for a ticklish massage experience, listening to familiar Christmas carols in the night, surely each tourist will surely feel a strong sense of grace bestowed upon them.
Christmas on the quiet streets of Laos
Let’s not forget the festive atmosphere along the main street of the ancient capital of Laos, Luang Prabang. With the majority of the population being Buddhist, there are no solemn processions or church bells, yet the spirit of Christmas comes alive through the decorations on hundreds of restaurants along the main road in front of the Royal Palace. Although the ambiance retains the deep essence of French colonial architecture in Laos, and is not overly noisy, one can still glimpse the festive red and green colors adorned with Christmas trees and reindeer sleighs peeking through the doors. In the chilly breeze blowing from the Nam Ou River, visitors often find warmth in cozy restaurants with the aroma of French bread and thick Lao coffee. Or, more simply, guests may huddle together near a night market’s wood stove, enjoying Lao-style grilled dishes as the holidays gently pass by in this tranquil atmosphere.
