Christmas in Beijing December 2009 [Photo Courtesy: Gloria Hotel]

By Andrea Hunt

Not everyone is lucky enough to have family in nearby proximity on Christmas, so making your 2009 Christmas dinner in Beijing count is essential. This Christmas Eve promises to be filled with food and holiday cheer with a range of options to suit your dietary cravings, style and budget.

Just because Santa doesn't normally come down into the hutong courtyards to stuff stockings with candied haw and mandarin oranges doesn't mean you can't celebrate in China accordingly.

Santa, gifts and mistletoe aside, the main concern for most is being with close friends if Mom and Dad aren't here this Beijing Christmas 2009. Keep those blues away by using the time to let your taste buds savor sumptuous favorites that you may tend to enjoy once a year; Christmas time is one to feast and be merry

While some prefer to host a meal in their humble Beijing abodes, others would prefer to leave the cooking up to the experts, or maybe leave the clean-up to someone else. Going out to eat offers you an assortment of food at the price you choose.

Whether you want to dine out in-style or recover financially after your Christmas shopping spree, Beijing will give you a few options.

This 2009 Christmas dinner in Beijing offers roast turkey to BBQ or Indian curry and sushi as well as everything in between.

If you just got done mailing Christmas presents from China to ship home, then you might be looking for a more frugal option.

Enjoy dinner in an old, distinctly Beijing-style renovated courtyard at Bed Bar with their roasted turkey dinner which they offer for three days starting December 23 at RMB 98 per kilo.

It adds a taste of home-style comfort to a bit of Beijing's incomparable Chinese architecture. To appreciate your old traditions while embracing your Chinese side, take off your shoes and relish the atmosphere of Bed Bar.