December 23: To mark the beginning of Christmas, Hyatt Regency Kathmandu recently hosted a Christmas tree lighting ceremony for the third year in a row.

The five-star hotel said in a statement that Christmas tree and gingerbread house draw the attention of its guests during this time of the year.

The hotel further said that they used recycled materials to decorate the Christmas tree to foster sustainable environmental practices.

According to the statement, altogether 4,600 bottles and wooden pallets were used as the main materials for Christmas decorations this year.

Likewise, the gingerbread house was decorated with 11,963 ginger biscuits and along with meringue, icing, sugar paste, doughnuts and chocolates, which took 39 hours to complete.

“The lobby was beautifully decorated with a 14-foot Christmas tree with lots of brightly decorated boxes placed under it. The annual ceremony began with traditional Christmas carols performed by children from John Dewey School. The tree was lit by Abdullah Tuncer Kececi, general manager of Turkish Airlines,” read the statement issued on December 20.

According to the hotel, the highlight of the event was the arrival of Santa Claus, who came on a bicycle with his bag full of sweets and bellowing “ho ho ho.”

“The children and adults too, jumped with excitement and started taking selfies.”