Christmas Traditions in Japan

We have just experienced our second Christmas in Japan and even though we've been halfway around the world for 18 months now, we have felt at "home for the holidays" in many ways. (Except for the obvious fact that our extended families are not here to celebrate with us.)

In Japan, everywhere we look we see evidence of Christmas, which elicits a bit of nostalgia even though we're in a foreign country. Streets are lined with Christmas wreaths, trees, lights, and Santas. Many store fronts are decorated in red and green from top to bottom, with the exception of a little fake white snow interspersed here and there. You might think this surprising, considering that less than 1% of the population in Japan is Christian. But most Japanese people celebrate Christmas. Christmas, in fact, has been celebrated in Japan since 1552. But it wasn't until 1900, when Japan began adopting a more Western lifestyle, that Christmas became commercial and thus more popular. Decorations were used then to lure shoppers into department stores...much like today!

Japanese children also receive presents from their parents and Santa, but they are not placed under a Christmas tree. After all, most Japanese homes have no room for a tree! (We made room for our American tree, which was frozen and shipped from Washington State.) Instead, gifts are usually placed near the child's pillow as they sleep. (I suspect this is the rate-limiting factor when Santa decides what to deliver. That leaves mostly small, sleek--probably Japanese--electronics. Actually, that is what Santa brought me this year!)

Anyway, in Japan, Christmas Eve also tends to be a more romantic evening, much like Valentine's Day, for couples than in the States. Restaurants are often full with reservations for two. But if you're a family of four, just for example, you'd most likely be found eating fried chicken at KFC...if you made a reservation, that is. (We did not. Maybe next year.)

Yes, KFC does mean "Kentucky Fried Chicken" even in Japan...and I do mean to say that Japanese people like to eat KFC for Christmas. And it's so popular they even need reservations for it. If they don't get them, some people opt for any ol' chicken. The "chicken for Christmas" tradition dates back to 1974, when an American customer told a KFC employee that he was thinking of getting KFC for Christmas since turkeys aren't available in Japan. So, KFC launched a "Christmas Fried Chicken" campaign and it stuck.

After a fried chicken dinner, Christmas dessert in Japan is likely a strawberry shortcake generally accepted everywhere as "Christmas cake." These cakes, like most Japanese sweets, are generally much less sweet than American sweets. Christmas cake is a spongecake layered with with fresh slightly-sweet whipped cream and fresh strawberries. They must be ordered in advance, as they are very popular and Christmas is the busiest season for pastry shops. (Sydney thought this Christmas cake was "finger-licking good"!)

One final big difference in Japan is that there are definitely not 12 days of Christmas; decorations are tossed on December 26th as part of traditional Japanese deep cleaning rituals in preparation for the New Year. I couldn't bring myself to take down our Christmas tree on the 26th...so I waited till the 27th! (I couldn't stand all the clutter and falling needles in our small family room!)