Christmas and New Years in Japan (Julien)

Spending Christmas and New Years away from your family and friends is, perhaps, one of the most difficult feats about living abroad. If you can boldly, get past it, however, with the help of new friends, you will have a great triumph of person that will make you that much stronger.

The holiday season in Japan, like around much of the world, is full of anticipation, though there are some differences. The first key difference is that, unlike in the West, New Year’s hold precedence over Christmas. Not being a nation found on the precepts of Christianity, Japan’s notion of Christmas is shown little more than as a convenient sales pitch. It is almost entirely done by foreign franchises and department stores, though you will find an abundant amount of decorations in large metropolitan areas such as Osaka and Tokyo. You will be surprised to know that chains such as KFC and Denny’s that highly market Christmas have a high turnout Christmas eve and day. You may have already presumed that Christmas in Japan was solely centered on consumerism, but what you may not know is that a notion of Valentine’s Day is also thrown in. Though for the average Japanese Christmas may just be any ordinary day, for a young person it is the perfect time to take out a special someone. You might want to keep this in mind if you have a boyfriend or girlfriend. All this said, however, if you wish to go to celebrate the religious side of Christmas, Christian masses may be found in any of the churches, as in any other country.

 

Though Christmas in Japan might disappoint you, it may quell your sadness that New Years is the single-most important holiday in Japan. Both New Years Eve and day are celebrated with the utmost cheer. You will be happy to know that New Year’s Eve is celebrated much in the same fashion as in the West. If you’re in Tokyo you might go see the New Year countdown at the Tokyo Tower, elsewhere you may have a festive celebration. New Years Day, however, is more important. If you live with a Japanese host-family or are lucky enough to be invited by Japanese friends, you might have the chance to go to a Japanese temple, to usher in the New Year, or eat a special New Year’s feast that might help you forget the lack of one at Christmas. For Japanese children, the New Year is a day to receive gifts and money from relatives. For a young man or woman turning twenty, with the New Year will come a subsequent celebration, known as hatachi, celebrating the commencement of their adult lives, that will see them in their best clothes. Whether you decide to return to your home country or stay in Japan, there is no doubt that the holiday season will be an interesting experience.