Soldiers serving in Afghanistan over the holidays have sent an early Christmas greeting to their families and Canadians. The Canadian Forces are mailing out a DVD Christmas card from Camp Julien, showcasing troops patrolling the streets of Kabul and the Afghanis they're helping.

About 24 soldiers sporting bright red scarves, and another 20 civilian contractors working at the camp wearing green ties sing the Victorian Christmas carol What Child is This? during the five-minute video.

Military family resource centres across Canada have been tasked with distributing the video greetings to the families of soldiers serving in Afghanistan's Operation Athena.

About 900 Canadian soldiers will be patrolling the dusty streets of Kabul during the holiday season. Most of them come from Edmonton, with a few from Ottawa. Another 500 Canadian soldiers are serving abroad on 16 missions. Defence Minister Bill Graham encouraged Canadians to send greetings to soldiers through the military's Web site.