Meri Kurisumasu! (How the Japanese say Merry Christmas!)
I know this is a bit late but come on.....it was the holidays and I was busy! It's supposed to family time right?
Anyway, I thought I would shed some light on the Japanese take on Christmas. I know that I'm American and we usually celebrate Christmas some way or another. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not religious one bit but I (or I should say My family and I) celebrate Christmas as a time of family and gift-giving. I try my best to give my daughter the best of both worlds. Well, Hey Boy, Hey Girl, Super Star DJ, Here We Go!:
In Japan, Christmas has become bigger and bigger over the last ten years or so. Christmas lights show up, sales, events, etc. When I first came to Japan, nothing really happened at all but now it does so it's nice and adds to the spirit. Around Christmas time it is customary to get Kentucky Fried Chicken and let me tell you.....it's no joke. First, you have to make a reservation at the day and time that you want to pick up your Christmas pack. They have different styles of meals but basically "It tastes like chicken!" If you don't get a reservation in time then you won't get your chicken. You have to understand the magnitude of this event because they even take all the table out of the resturant to modify it to become a big pick-up for the reservation.....so matter what...you're getting To-Go for a couple days.
Every year we make our reservation usually for noon on Christmas Eve day because it's less people and usually no hassle in getting the food, etc. Also, we celebrate X-mas as it is convenient. Since X-mas fell on a Sunday last year and works call on Monday....we pushed the holiday one day forward. Christmas Eve on the 23rd (Friday) and X-mas on the 24th (Saturday). My daughter is only six has has no conception of day and time yet so it works out best and we want to make sure she has time to play with her new toys from Santa.
Before the Feast, we had have a visit from the Fat Man (A.K.A. Santa Claus) so here are two pictures of before and after his visit. Instead of cookies this year then I felt that Santa wanted some brownies so I baked them up and made a heart shaped one. Pretty good, eh? Santa told me that it was pretty decent as well (
). Here are the pictures. You can tell how much that we love our daughter.
The next day, we had a pretty decent feast.....there was beer, salad, and of course CHICKEN! Enjoy the pictures.
Here’s a toast for a Happy New Year as well.
Finally, I felt bad that I didn’t have more chicken so I felt that I had to pay my respects to Santa Colonel Sanders Claus with a firm punch in the stomach.
Merry Christmas! and Happy New Year.
Akemashi te Omedetou! Kotoshi mo Yoroshiku!(This is a phrase common to say after the New Year which means
Happy New Year and Let's keep trying to be friendly this year)
Before the New Year then a person has to say (Yoi o toshi o = Happy New Year).
NOTE: Important to know the difference and when to say each phrase! If not then it makes you look stupid or weird.
Mata ne! (Until Next time!)
Buddha S.
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Topic: A Kentucky Fried Christmas (Read 4637 times)