Christmas in Japan

Today I went to school.

Yes, that's right, you heard me.  I went to school on Christmas Day.  No because I am a nerd who really loves school, but because we actually had school on Christmas Day.  Unlike in most western countries, Christmas is not considered a special day in Japan.  You don't get a day off because it's the day that Jesus Christ was born.  Apparently many of the exchange students in the past have previously complained about this, but a non-holiday is a non-holiday.

What do Japanese people do during Christmas?  They still celebrate Christmas, but just in a very different way from what we're used to.  While they like to decorate the streets with Christmas decorations and play Christmas music in the malls, they don't feel the need to buy Christmas gifts for everyone.  At most, the children might get gifts.


Furthermore, they don't eat turkey or ham during Christmas, but chicken.  In particular, they like fried Chicken.  Hence, KFC is quite popular in Japan during Christmas time.  So popular in fact, that the typical "finger-licking" good KFC meal that we have during a regular weeknight has become the de facto Christmas meal in Japan:  fried chicken, potato salad, fries, along with some nice Christmas cake.  I have no idea how KFC managed to establish themselves as a traditional Christmas meal, but they are marketing geniuses for doing so.



Japanese people also don't consider Christmas to be a quiet time to get together with family.  It is in fact quite the opposite case.  For most Japanese people, Christmas is a time to go out and celebrate with friends and go shopping.  Hence, shops will have regular store hours, and may even remain open later than usual as a result.  New Year's Day is considered the quiet time when you get together with your family.  It's during New Year's that Japan will become extremely quiet, people will get together with families to eat traditional New Year's food, and go out late at night to the temple to pray.  In essence, the role of Christmas and New Year's day have been reversed in Japan.  So if you're looking to party hard in Japan on January 1st, you might be sorely disappointed.

I must say, with the shops being open, the lack of snow, and the fact that I went to school like it was any other day, it really doesn't feel like Christmas at the moment.  But perhaps I will feel differently when New Year's rolls around.