Christmas Celebration in Japan

Christian missionaries who visited Japan during colonial period introduced Christianity in Japan. It is estimated that less than 1% of Japan's population is Christian and December 25 is not a Japanese national holiday. The Japanese has adopted many western customs of celebrating Christmas. Lots of people decorate Christmas trees at home and hold parties around Christmas Day.

Japanese way to celebrate Christmas Eve by eating Christmas cakes and most Japanese families would have a decorated Christmas tree with colourful lights outside of their houses. Christmas Eve is seen as a time to be spent with one's boyfriend or girlfriend in a romantic setting, of fancy restaurants and hotels. It is also a time when girls get to reveal their affections to boys and vice versa. Christmas presents are exchanged between people with romantic commitments as well as with close friends. The presents tend to be 'cute' presents and often include teddy bears, flowers, scarves, rings and other jewelry. Christmas cards are also given to close friends.

For the more elderly couples, many hotels host dinner shows featuring major singers, actors, and actresses.

The traditional Japanese Christmas food is the Christmas cake usually made of sponge cake, strawberries and whipped cream.

Japanese have a Buddhist monk called Hotei-osho who acts like Santa Claus. He brings presents to each house and leaves them for the children. Some children think he has eyes in the back of his head, so children try to behave well as he is near by and watching their activities.

On Christmas Day Japanese hold massive prayer in Church with priests and then exchange gifts and greet each other. And at night children hold drama in which story of Christ birth enacted along with singing and reciting carol.

View Christmas Celebration in Japan News