TODAYonline

Christmas switch-on to lighten up the gloom?:

AFTER weeks of economic gloom, yesterday may have seemed a good time to herald the start of the holiday season.

And a number of festive activities and announcements did just that.

This year’s Orchard Road Christmas light-up, to be officially switched on tomorrow by President SR Nathan, will be themed “A Sweet Christmas in Singapore” and feature environmentally-friendly light emitting diodes which will cut energy consumption by 70 per cent, said the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

Conceptualised by Singaporean music composer Dick Lee, the shopping stretch will be lit with candy cane street lamps and decorated with cupcake houses and giant doughnuts.

The decorations will centre around the Sweet Family who live in Christmas Town and run a Sweet Shoppe.

This year’s tourist numbers are not expected to exceed last year’s visitorship of 1.8 million in November and December, but Ms Geraldine Yeo, STB’s director of leisure marketing and events management, told radio 938Live that the Board is still hoping for a healthy turnout.

Meanwhile, a Santa Claus flew in from Finland to bring cheer to children at Nanyang Primary School and the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital’s Children’s Cancer Centre yesterday.

Flown in by homegrown retailer of Scandinavian-designed furniture Scanteak, the Santa — whose real name isMr Timo Alarik Pakkanen — also greeted invited guests and customers of the company at its Henderson Industrial Park outlet.

“Singapore’s a bit too warm for Santa, but it’s so clean and I love to be here,” said Mr Pakkanen.

A veteran Santa of 48 years, Mr Pakkanen will also visit cancer-stricken children at the National University Hospital before flying off on Monday.

Also launched was the Santa Claus Club in Singapore, one of fewer than 10 worldwide and the first in Asia.

The club is a partnership between the Santa Claus Finland Foundation and Scanteak, which owns the rights here. Scanteak customers who spend $800 or more will be entitled to a membership card, a letter and envelope addressed to Santa, a certificate and a stocking.

Over at Kreta Ayer and Pipit Road, about 30 staff from bread company Gardenia distributed 1,700 fruit and nut loaves to residents in one- and two-room rental flats.

Done in partnership with the Singapore Kindness Movement — which celebrated Good Neighbour Day yesterday — its aim was to reach out to the underprivileged, saidMs Lena Chew, Gardenia’s marketing communications manager. NEO CHAI CHIN