15 Christmas In Japan Facts: Learn All About The Japanese Celebration!
Christmas has only recently become a popular holiday in Japan, especially with Japanese kids.
As there aren't many Christians in Japan, it's still not considered a religious celebration or commemoration. Numerous traditions brought to Japan from the United States, such as receiving and sending Christmas cards and gift-giving, have become widely known over the years.
The Japanese version of Christmas is celebrated in Japan as a period to extend joy rather than as a religious holiday. Christmas Eve is sometimes more widely observed than the 25 December which is the actual Christmas day.
Christmas Eve is a day when partners spend time together as one and exchange gifts. It is similar to Valentine's Day festivities in the United Kingdom and the United States in many aspects. They do wish each other a Merry Christmas, though.
During Christmas in Japan, young couples enjoy going for walks to see the Christmas decorations and then having a fancy dinner in a restaurant. Reservations for tables on Christmas Eve can be incredibly hard to get due to the high demand.
In Japan, Christmas is not really a national holiday. However, since it is just next to the beginning of the New Year's break from school, many schools are closed on Christmas Day. Many companies, however, will consider the 25th as a regular working day.
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony as well as its final act, 'Ode to Joy', are particularly well-known in Japan all over Christmas and the end of the year as Christmas music. The soundtrack is so well-known that it is simply referred to as 'daiku', which translates to 'number nine.'
Christmas in Japan is a joyous and festive occasion. As the entire country has few religious people, none of the religious significance associated with Christmas was carried over from the West, so it is not a national holiday, as mentioned above.
Nevertheless, several of the items typically associated with Christmas, the celebratory Christmas tree in shopping centers, night markets, and LED Christmas lights, make an appearance, as do a couple of primarily Japanese customs.
A Japanese strawberry shortcake is a Japanese Christmas cake.
It is soft and porous, with whipped cream lining and icing that is significantly less sweet than some other floral centerpieces. In Japan, this snack is known as 'Christmas Cake', and it's a delicious way to celebrate the holiday season and the winter season with relatives as well as friends.
Another popular Christmas activity in the major city of Japan, particularly in Tokyo midtown and Tokyo station, is visiting Tokyo Disneyland or other theme parks and then seeing all of the interior decoration and processions.
Tokyo Disneyland's Christmas season runs from the second week of November until Christmas Day. All of the Christmas decorations are removed on 26 December, fully prepared for the New Year's holiday festivities to begin!
In Japan, New Year's is a huge holiday. Continue reading this article and learn how to blend in if you get to visit Japan during the Christmas holiday season. Afterward, also check Christmas in Ireland facts and Christmas in Russia facts.