THE RED star glows proudly atop the Christmas tree outside our apartment building, neatly marrying the emblem of this avowedly secular Communist country and the symbol of the growing popularity of Christmas among the expanding Christian community and the new rich. Although Christmas with Chinese characteristics means the preference is for Beijing duck over turkey.
A 12-page supplement in the Beijing Newsfeatures a Chinese Santa Claus astride a Beijing bicycle outside an ornate traditional door in an ancient hutong laneway in the city. Santa's Little Helper on the back of the bike has got white earmuffs and she is holding up a tray carrying a golden Beijing duck. It's not as dry as turkey, you see, and if you are going to convince Chinese people to start celebrating Christmas, the best way to do it is to make it a culinary treat.
The focus of the supplement's instructions is how to have a house party. "The interesting thing is that each year at Christmas Chinese young people will go out and have fun at nightclubs, while most foreigners in Beijing will spend Christmas at home to have a house party. They will light up their Christmas trees, chat around the fireplace, enjoy delicious food and mulled wine, exchange gifts and wishes for the new year," the newspaper writes.
Inside, Santa Claus is now armed with a wok and a spoon and is cooking up a storm. In a later picture he is being served Christmas duck and red wine by two women in traditional Chinese qipao dresses. Chinese Christmas looks like a lot of fun.
The idea of a major Chinese newspaper discussing Christmas so openly is a major departure in itself. The Communist Party dislikes religious festivals and has long banned formal celebration of the holiday as an imperialist, rightist, Judeo-Christian holiday that has no place on the Chinese calendar.
In modern China's pantheon of celebration, Christmas occupies a similar position to St Valentine's Day. Both are becoming increasingly popular among young urban professionals and both were formerly frowned upon.
"This Christmas I plan to have a romantic dinner with my boyfriend, then we'll go out to sing karaoke with a group of friends," said Ren Yibing, a university student from Hebei province.
"The Chinese have certainly begun to mark foreign festivals, such as Valentine's Day or April Fools' Day. I do not think Chinese people will buy a Christmas tree and do the decoration, though. Foreign festivals are viewed as more of an excuse for the Chinese to go out and have fun," she said.
In some of the city's glitzy malls, the Christmas decorations have been up for weeks and you would not know you were in a communist Asian country that does not officially celebrate Christmas. Consumerism drives the trappings of Christmas as powerfully here now as it does in the West.
Certainly it feels like Christmas - there was a high of minus seven degrees yesterday and snow on the ground. Along Chang'an Avenue there are lights and signs saying Season's Greetings. Carols were sung at my son's school concert, but the word Christmas was not mentioned once and the show also featured mostly traditional Chinese acts.
The holiday is seen as a way of celebrating with friends rather than family.
Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is the biggest date on the calendar, during which many Chinese will go home to their families in the countryside and stay for weeks. So Christmas is an opportunity to hang out with your pals, often in nightclubs.
Christmas new China-style also includes taking in some traditional opera, ideally at one of the city's opera houses that offers food - the supplement provides a list of places to get the best singing and food combination.
"My family is Christian, so the Christmas dinner in my grandma's home is like a miniature version of Chinese New Year. We sometimes have hot pot. Maybe this year I'll invite some friends over," said Wu Ang, a poet and columnist.
Others are more sceptical.
"The Chinese don't need foreign festivals. We have Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and Spring Festival and we know their tradition and history so we can celebrate them," said Guo Qiang, a maths teacher from Beijing.
"Some people think it's modern to have foreign festivals, but I don't.
Anyway, I don't have any plans for Christmas," said Mr Guo. I wonder what the Chinese expression is for 'Bah, humbug!' But it's probably fair to say Mr Guo is in a minority among young people in the capital - most are indifferent, and some are entirely enthusiastic.
"Christmas is a romantic, warm and beautiful festival," said Yang Yuanming (37), a designer from Beijing.
"Chinese have been celebrating foreign festivals since the late 1990s and they are quite popular by now. They like the combination of foreign and Chinese traditional festivals, a kind of 'melting pot'," she said.
"A lot has happened in China this year. Sometimes it's easy for people to get mad in the name of patriotism or morality. Sometimes just calming down and having fun with friends and family is the most important thing in life," she said. "Happy Christmas to you!"