Christmas in Japan

It's a funny place, Japan.

Japan is not Christian. It is "officially" Shinto, but largely Buddhist. No one understands any of it until someone dies, though. In Japan, Christmas is for couples.
Dinner for a "North American" Christmas is roast turkey. Turkey is not a Japanese food. Japanese have a severe affinity to borrow culture from Americans. However, the closest thing to turkey is chicken. KFC has Christmas promotions. I tell Japanese that in England people eat goose as a traditional food at Christmas. They look quite disgusted. They seems happy with their deep fried chicken.

I discovered the "Christmas cake" in Japan is, in fact, sponge cake, not heavy fruit cake. Japanese are surprised by this, of course. As Christmas is for couples, it stands to reason that it is a "romantic" holiday. Gifts are a must. What's the big gift to celebrate the birth of Jesus? Jewelry. And what beverage could go better with your jewelry, sponge cake and KFC than champagne? It's the beverage of choice for the most holy of Christian days. So, to review, KFC and champagne - that's Christmas in Japan. Weird, weird country.

The love hotels get long line ups during Christmas, apparently. I'll have to wander through Dogenzaka, Shibuya to check it out.

Christians in the west are not off the hook. Christians continue blindly to use Christmas trees, holly wreaths and mistletoe - all pre-Christian, pagan symbols; and continue to celebrate Samhain (Halloween), the pagan new year. I think Christians are confused as well.