Immerse yourself in the holiday spirit

'TIS the weekend before Christmas, and all through the house, busy hands are putting up last minute decorations and planning the final touches of the festive menu. So take a breather from work and immerse yourself in the holiday spirit as Weekend magazine goes house-hopping to see how folks are celebrating the most decorative part of the year. From baubles collected over decades to whimsical ornaments made by children, a banker, entrepreneur, regional president and marketing director take off their official hats to become mums, dads, sons, daughters and yes, families, spending time together for some yuletide cheer.

For the home chefs among us who relish a challenge, how about adding a United Nations touch to your Christmas menu? We gather chefs from different countries - Australia, Spain, Switzerland, France and Singapore - to share their favourite Christmas recipes. Try your hand at making Eurasian Feng, pavlova, kugelhopf and roast Poulet Bresse at home - or failing that, just dine in at their restaurants.

Continuing the Christmas mood, we head to Tokyo as the entire city is bedecked in Christmas lights. This is one blue Christmas you won't want to miss, as millions of blue LED lights are turned into twinkling installations that are thrilling both locals and visitors alike.