Having just returned from a vacation to South Africa, I noticed how much more emphasis is given to the frills of Christmas in China than back home. In fact, apart from the sanctity of one's own home, the endless choruses of 'Santa Claus is coming to town' and the forest of red and white felt hats is a smothering of yuletide blessings that registers way above 10 on the festivities scale.

All this tinsel mania needs to be toned down several notches and put into perspective.

It seems I am not alone in my sentiments. A recent open letter in the China Daily online edition was outspoken in calling for Chinese revellers to ditch exotic western holidays and pay more attention to home grown holidays.

What made the petition newsworthy, and set off a sleigh ride of response, was the fact that it was penned by a group of 10 PhD students and left no room as to where their feelings lay.

With the breath-clutching title "Out of Cultural Collective Unconsciousness, Strengthen Chinese Cultural Dominance" the students, who are studying at the silver spoon universities of Beida, Tsinghua and People's University hope to "wake up the Chinese people to resist western cultural invasion".

In an unambiguous citizen-lashing and firm stand against western culture and lifestyle in China, the letter began: "We 10 doctoral students from different universities and research institutes solemnly call on our countrymen to be cautious about Christmas, to wake from their collective cultural coma and give Chinese culture the dominant role."

In very colourful language and intimating the growing assimilation of China and the outside world, the students showed alarm: "Western culture has been changing from a breeze and a drizzle into a wild wind and a heavy storm."

"This is vividly embodied in the rising popularity of Christmas."

Having braved a shopping mall and supermarket just before reading the letter, I have to agree it's a storm all right. It felt like someone had dumped a gigantic truckload of every Christmas item ever made in front of me.

"Things are getting way bizarre"

The students say that while the celebration of Christmas and other western holidays is an individual thing, the majority of Chinese are just swept up in the moment with no clue as to the origins.

Even tickets to midnight mass at the churches in Beijing are seen by young Chinese as the hottest place to take a date. Things are getting way bizarre.

The letter blames the government, among others, for not maintaining Chinese traditions while encouraging the economy, and retailers are lambasted for using the festival to clean out the pockets of Santa-struck consumers. The petitioning protagonists want a ban on their countrymen sending Christmas cards, decorating their homes and businesses, and even buying gifts for little ones.

It's a harsh stance, and they suggest that returning to traditional beliefs of Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism is the antidote to the western lifestyle invasion.

The dyke has long been reached

Once the letter had been posted onto the China Daily website, it expectedly released an avalanche of protest, but also a surprising number of Chinese who agreed. In 24 hours, sina.com, one of the more popular local sites, had recorded over 40 000 netizen responses to the letter

Mainstream opinion acknowledges, however, that this popularity of festivals (after Christmas look no further than Valentine's Day) is here to stay and is fueled by supply and demand. The great dyke trying vainly to keep out the tide of these Western festivals has long since been breached, and consumers are now in the driving seat.

Paradoxically, as the full impact of glitter and gifts rains over China, countries like Britain are increasingly toeing a more politically-correct line. Businesses and schools are bending over backwards to make sure that Christian festivals like Christmas do not tread on the toes of people of other faiths and are quietly removing and renaming all signs of the festivities surrounding the birth of Christ.

The British media labels these party poopers, Christmas "killjoys" and says they are just ruining the fun for others.

Government ministers have not been shy to have their say either, as the row continues to gather steam. Former foreign secretary Jack Straw, now leader of parliament's lower House of Commons, called it all "politically correct nonsense" saying Christians happily recognised the festivals of all other religions.

It seems that just celebrating a festival in a way that acknowledges its origin and maintains some semblance of balance is fast becoming a very difficult accomplishment.

Now would the waitress serving me Chinese dumplings at my west-end local take that Christmas hat off and lower the volume on the revolving chorus of Jingle Bells. Oh please let it be a 'Silent Night'.