★The Winter Celebrations In Japan★ December 2020

In Japan December is a month that most people spend busily getting ready for the upcoming New Year. The very end of December, is also known as "toshi no se" which, is especially full of things to do. The Japanese New Year "o shogatsu" is more like a traditional Western Christmas. New Year is a very big celebration in Japan and is the period where families get together, have a special meal, pray and send greetings cards. New year is celebrated over five days from December 31st to January 4th and is a very busy time.

As for Christmas, it has only been celebrated in Japan for the last few decades. Though several customs that came to Japan from the US such as sending and receiving Christmas Cards and Presents is still very popular. In Japan, Christmas is known as more of a time to spread happiness rather than a religious celebration. Christmas Eve is often celebrated way more than the actual Christmas Day. Christmas Eve is thought of as a romantic day, in which couples spend time together and exchange presents. Young couples like to go for walks to look at the Christmas lights and have a romantic meal in a restaurant - so booking a table on Christmas Eve can be very difficult as it's so popular!

On Christmas day, Fried chicken is often eaten. It is the busiest time of year for restaurants such as KFC and people can place orders at their local fast food restaurant in advance! The reason why KFC is so popular for Christmas is because there was an advertising campaign by KFC in the 1974 called 'Kentucky for Christmas!' (Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!) which was very successful and it has stuck ever since! The traditional Christmas food is Christmas cake, but it's not a rich fruit cake like it is for most people in the west, but is usually a sponge cake decorated with strawberries, whipped cream, and sometimes trees, flowers and a figure of Santa Claus.

Another popular activity at Christmas in Japan, especially in Tokyo, is visiting Tokyo Disneyland and seeing all the decorations and the parades. Parties are often held for children, with games and dancing. Then on December 26th, all the Christmas decorations are gone, ready for the New Year celebrations to start!

I really hope everyone has some fun this Holiday season and has a Happy New Year!