WINTER TRADITION IN JAPAN

The winter season is the most festive month as people celebrate Christmas and New Year worldwide. Each country has its own customs and cultures associated with the holidays. In Japan, Christmas is the time to meet up with friends and for couples to go on a date. This makes Christmas in western different because only about 1 percent population in Japan is Christian. And New Year is the moment when all family members get together to celebrate the end of the year.

Winter in Japan starts from December to February, marked as the coldest month of the year. During Christmas Eve, December 24 becomes the most romantic day in Japan. Streets will be decorated with lights and Christmas ornaments, and even stores will sell romantic Christmas gifts. As a matter of fact, it becomes the Japanese version of Valentine’s day, as the atmosphere embodies love and Christmas spirit. Fun fact, Japanese people have a unique tradition for this specific holiday, as an estimated 3.6 million Japanese families will have Kentucky Fried Chicken as their holiday meal. This tradition started more than 40 years ago by Takeshi Okawara, the first KFC manager who created a “party bucket” to the menu and launched a national marketing campaign. It was proven to be a huge success, and to this day, the tradition still lives on, and now people book six weeks in advance to eat KFC during Christmas. What makes eating KFC chicken during Christmas and any other day different is the meaning behind it. During Christmas, it means friends, couples, and entire families gather to share a meal. Isn’t it a priceless moment?

Another interesting tradition in Japan is a winter festival usually held at the beginning of February. The biggest snow festival is located in Hokkaido’s capital Sapporo and is also known as Sapporo Yuki Matsuri. The snow festival is held at three sites: the Odori site, the Susukino site, and Tsu Dome Site. Attracting around two million visitors from Japan and worldwide annually, people can enjoy snow sculptures, snow slides, snow rafting, a food stand, and event performances at the snow festival. Now, are you interested in visiting Japan during winter, or is it already on your bucket list?

References

https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/how-to-celebrate-christmas-in-japan/

https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/christmas-in-japan