How do they celebrate Christmas in a country where only 1% of the population identifies as Christian? Do they even care about Santa, Christmas carols, sweet and not so sweet treats, decorations, holiday tables full of amazing food, and all those beautiful lights everywhere?
Well, of course they do! Even though Christmas isn’t an official holiday in Japan, Christmas is definitely felt throughout the country. There are Christmas markets and beautiful decorations everywhere. There are tasty bites, even some Christmas trees and lovely Christmas customs, especially on a Christmas Eve (which is in Japan actually a bigger deal then the Christmas Day itself) when young couples exchange gifts and actually enjoy the Christmas magic! Even though Christmas in Japan will certainly be a bit different from what’re used to, it is still felt and actually celebrated in the land of the rising sun. So let’s explore Japan version of your favourite time of the year.
Christmas Day in Japan
One pretty interesting fact about Christmas in Japan is that it is often celebrated in the exact opposite way from how it’s done in the West.
In Japan, Christmas is the time for friends and couples to have parties, make plans to meet up for dinner and celebrate as much as they can. Also, New Year is the time of the year when the family comes together and visits the temple. So, Christmas in Japan actually feels more party oriented as opposed to what Westerners usually practice these days. In other words, if you like to party on Christmas then Japan might be the right choice.
Christmas Eve (December 24th) is the most romantic day of the year as it’s the Japanese version of Valentine’s Day when happiness is spread all around!
Japanese Christmas Cake and KFC
Real celebration goes hand in hand with delicious food, as much as some of their customs might be strange for the Westerners! There’s no real difference between Japanese Christmas and the one in the West here. We simply all love good food.
During the Advent, Japanese Christmas cake or – “kurisumasu keki” is being
sold on every street corner in the country! This dessert is light and spongy with whipped cream filling and frosting, topped with perfectly cut deep red strawberries. It is also seen as a symbol of prosperity since Japan rose from ruins after World War II.
But the ultimate Christmas meal in Japan is – KFC! Yes, you heard it right! A bucket of KFC chicken might be the star of Christmas meals in Japan for millions of Japanese.
KFC Japan is the absolute star of Christmas meals. Yep, that’s right. Every year, millions of Japanese families are going totally nuts about it and, the waiting list is so huge that you need to order your KFC in advance. As strange as it might sound, Kentucky Fried Chicken embodies a true Christmas spirit in Japan. The party bucket somehow rules in the land of sushi nowadays.
During the Christmas season Japanese will also happily consume roasted, chicken potato salad (the twist is that they mix it with green onion, citrus fruit like yuzu, or mayonnaise), cream stew, even a Christmas pizza…Of course, there are also more traditional favourites during this period, such as green tea or even sushi Christmas delights (which we will write more about in the next article). As for drinks, some of the Christmas favourites are definitely warm sake and wine or grape juice for those who’d like to stay off the liquor.
In Japan, it’s important to stay cozy and warm during the holiday season. We are all human after all.
