Christmas is Coming -- クリスマスはもうすぐだよ〜

Christmas is coming! For a mostly non-Christian country, Japan really fosters the Christmas "spirit". Christmas music and decorations permeate the entirety of December. And also most of November. (Ooops, Japan. You forgot Thanksgiving!) Although the Japanese do celebrate Christmas, they have many traditions that are slightly different and some that are completely different.

Because Christmas is such a large part of western culture, I get to dedicate an English class to Christmas vocabulary and U.S. Christmas culture. I got one of my JTE's perspective on Christmas while we were planning our lesson, and I learned some fascinating misconceptions that the Japanese have about how we celebrate in the states.

(Also, check out this good article about foreign families in Japan!)

1. Christmas Cake - When I think of Christmas desserts I picture candy canes and sugar cookies. If you ask a Japanese person what food they eat on Christmas, they are most likely to say Christmas Cake. I never have eaten cake on Christmas, but if I were to associate a cake with Christmas it would be a fruitcake. In Japan, however, Christmas cake is a light, spongy white cake that is eaten on Christmas Eve. Cakes like this are sold virtually everywhere and Japanese fathers will buy them on their way home from work on December 24th.
It seems to me that Christmas cake is something that was imported more from European traditions than American, but the Japanese aren't aware of this. I told a teacher at my Elementary school that we don't eat Christmas cake and she was pretty shocked.

2. KFC - Chicken is a very popular meal choice for Christmas dinner in Japan. Although the traditional western choice is Turkey, the Japanese don't normally own an oven, making cooking a bird hard. Somewhere along the line, Kentucky Fried Chicken ran a highly successful advertising campaign selling fried chicken sets as a substitute for a western style dinner on Christmas Eve. Since this time KFC has become a very popular Christmas food. Every time I pass by the KFC I stop to admire the lovely Christmas pre-order ads and Colonel Sanders dressed up as Santa Claus. At first I thought it was a strange choice, but after some thought I can see how American fast food is a cheap and logical way to substitute this expensive and time consuming meal.

3. Gift giving - Christmas in Japan isn't a giant family affair like it often is in the States. We tend to prepare presents for every member of the family. We go to bed on Christmas Eve and wake up in the morning with many presents underneath the tree and in our stockings. Japanese children go to bed at night and when they wake up in the morning, Santa has come through their window and left a present by their pillow. Because the only presents on Christmas are from Santa, parents don't normal receive Christmas presents. Once a child doesn't believe in Santa anymore there is no reason to keep up the  charade, so even that stops.
Friends and significant others often give each other presents during this time of year. People also give obligatory "year end" presents to those who have helped them throughout the year. These obligatory gifts are meant to show the value you place on your relationship with the person and the care that you have for it's up-keeping. Because they are mainly for politeness, people often buy perishable items that don't take up much space. They can be bought at department stores, making it easy for the recipient to check the price and return an appropriately expensive gift.

Santa climbing up the gutters of an Italian Restaurant in Kyoto. Is there a chimney for him?

Because there are so few Christians in Japan, the religious aspect is pretty much completely lost to commercialism. The Japanese do love flashy lights, decorations, and anything beautiful or cute. In true form, they have taken everything visually eye-popping about the holiday and embraced it whole-heartedly. In big cities like Kobe or Osaka you can see "illuminations" and elaborate Christmas decorations.

Although there are many differences between the ways we celebrate Christmas and the holiday season, Japan and the U.S. also have many similarities. We listen to the same Christmas music (albeit in different languages), watch Christmas movies, and spend time with people we care about. It's not a widely celebrated holiday in Japan, but it's an excuse for people to have a small celebration with those they care about and for businesses to sell festive specialty items.

Starting tomorrow, I'll be teaching "Christmas" lessons until I leave for Australia, so I'll report any further revelations. I have the feeling by the time Christmas actually arrives I will be either VERY Christmas-y or completely Christmas-ed out! Bring it on, Saint Nick!