As Haitians prepare for their first Christmas since the devastating earthquake nearly one year ago, the slow pace of recovery is putting a damper on holiday spirits.

Recovery efforts are being made even more difficult by a deadly cholera epidemic, which has claimed nearly 2600 lives, according to the Haitian government.

Yet as the country brings one of the worst years in its troubled history to a close, some Haitians are determined to celebrate "despite everything".

Al Jazeera's Tom Ackerman reports from the capital, Port-au-Prince.