25 Dec 1945, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp

The South China Morning Post gets out a Christmas edition:

Christmas Scenes

First Real Holiday For Four Years

Colony Celebrates

Many of the population of the Colony took advantage of Christmas and the inevitable release of supplies for the hoiday as a means of celebrating, not only Christmas itself, but also their first real holiday to be enjoyed with freedom for four years. In some houses there was sorrow and some of the celebrations were a little forced when they remembered the Christmas of four years ago, but in the hotels, dance halls and restaurants the scenes were of genuine relaxed happiness.

Last night there were one or two signs of wild enthusiasm such as the broken glass in the passages of the Gloucester Hotel and sundry broken bottles in the main roads, but on the whole the behaviour of the general public was impeccable.

The paper reports that church services on Christmas Eve were well attended. Bishop Ronald Hall conducted midnight mass at St. John's Cathedral, which took the form of Choral Eucharist, while Bishop Enrico Valtorta officiated at the Midnight Solemn Pontificial Mass celebrated at the Catholic Cathedral.

During the Christmas Day service at the Cathedral Bishop Hall recalled that four years ago Governor Mark Young had spent a few minutes in prayer there before surrendering.

Sources: SCMP, December 25, 1945, p. 1; SCMP, Deember 27, p. 2