CHRISTMAS IN JAPAN!

Christmas has only been widely celebrated in Japan for the last few decades. It's still not seen as a religious holiday or celebration as there are not many Christians in Japan. Now several traditions that came to Japan from the USA such as sending and receiving Christmas Cards and Presents are becoming popular.

In Japan, Christmas in known more as a time to spread happiness rather than a religious celebration. Christmas Eve is often celebrated more than Christmas Day. Christmas Eve is thought to be a romantic day, in which couples spend the day together and exchange presents. In many ways it resembles Valentine's Day celebrations in the UK and the USA. Young couples like to go for walks and to look at the Christmas lights, as well as having a romantic meal in a restaurant. Christmas celebration is a special festivity when Japanese people help to the community and to poor people.

Christmas is not a national holiday in Japan. However, schools are often closed on Christmas Day. The Emperor's birthday is a national holiday on the 23rd December and there's also a New Year school break. So the holiday break often starts around the 23rd. But most businesses will treat the 25th as a 'normal' working day.

In Japanese Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Meri Kurisumasu'. And it's written in the two Japanese scripts like this; Hiragana: めりーくりすます; Katakana: メリークリスマス. 

The Japanese New Year (called 'o shogatsu') is more like a traditional Western Christmas. New Year is the period when families get together, have a special meal, pray and send greetings cards. New Year is celebrated over five days from December 31st to January 4^th.

DECORATION

The tradition of the Christmas tree was brought into Japan by Christian missionaries, but the first modern Christmas tree appeared in Ginza, around 1910.

At the beginning, Japanese people decorated the Christmas tree with specific Japanese ornaments: small fans and paper lanterns, origami birds, animals… or even Santa Claus.

The decorations of the Christmas traditions of Japan include all the elements. The Nativity scene is given a corner in every house.

CHRISTMAS CHARACTER’S NAME

In the American tradition, Santa Claus is the bearer of gifts for children who have behaved well all throughout the year. The Japanese also have this type of figure.  His name is Hotei-osho (ほていおしょ).  He’s a buddhist monk, with a large belly and a cloth sack full of toys.  He has eyes in the back of his head, which means that he’s able to see the children and how they behave without them knowing.  Hoteisosho (ほていおしょ) is one of the seven gods of fortune.  He’s one of the more jovial, happy-go-lucky chaps, which is very convenient.

FOOD

Fried chicken is often eaten on Christmas day. It is the busiest time of the year for restaurants such as KFC and people can place orders at their local fast food restaurant in advance. There was an advertising campaign by KFC in the 1974 called 'Kentucky for Christmas!' (Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!) which was very successful and made KFC popular for Christmas.

The traditional Japanese Christmas food is Christmas cake, not a rich fruit cake but a sponge cake decorated with strawberries, whipped cream, trees, flowers and a figure of Santa Claus. Parties are often held for children, with games and dancing.

CHRISTMAS IN ITALY!

Christmas in Italy is celebrated over several weeks as Italians celebrate it from early December, depending on the region, until the day of Epiphany, on the 6th of January. Especially the children look forward to the start of the Christmas season in December when Christmas trees are put up and houses are decorated. 

There is a festive atmosphere during the whole of December. Christmas markets with various stalls with typical food, Christmas sweets and gifts can be visited in many towns.

On 6th of December, many families celebrate St. Nicholas Day. Children write letters to St Nicholas asking for gifts and they hang up either a sock or put a plate on the table on Nicholas day’s eve. Sometimes even St. Nicholas visits the children’s homes. Then children sing a Christmas carol or recite a poem.

If the children have behaved well throughout the last year, they will get some fruits, nuts and sweets from St. Nicholas. The naughty ones usually also get a sweet, although it does not look like coal. 

DECORATION

On Christmas Eve, as in the old Catholic tradition, food is not often eaten during the day as this is a fast day. The festive celebrations start after midnight mass. Nowadays, ‘Babbo Natale’, the Father Christmas, brings presents to children on Christmas Eve. 

The most important Christmas decoration in Italy is the 'presepe' or 'crib'. The crib is made up of Mary, Joseph and the new baby Jesus. There are also included in the crib the shepherds and the three wise men carrying gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Some cribs are very elaborate and can even have angels hanging above the crib. Others include animals, rivers and trees. Householders, churches and towns in Italy compete for the best 'presepe'. Most of Italy’s cribs are made in Naples and this city in particular has a lot of competition for the best crib. We can find in the Italian house in Christmas: Stars, candles, lights, Christmas Tree, Angels...

Christmas Decorations and Christmas lights are usually put up from the 8^th December which is the feast of the Immaculate Conception.

CHRISTMAS CHARACTER’S NAME

La Befana is an old woman of modest means who lived in a shack at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ. One night, The Three Magi, on their way to find the Christ child, stopped to ask for directions to Bethlehem and for food and shelter. Having provided their needs, the Magi thanked the old woman and invited her to join them in search of the baby Jesus. La Befana begged off, saying she could not leave her home.

Later that night, while asleep, La Befana was awoken by an unusually bright light. Startled and afraid, she took it as a sign to follow the Magi in search of the Christ Child. Unfortunately, La Befana lost her way, failing to find the Wise Men or the manger.

Each year, on January 5th (the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany), La Befana resumes her search of the Christ Child. As she travels from house to house, she drops off treats to sleeping children in hopes that the baby Jesus might also be with them.

Children hang up their stockings, so that the Befana can bring presents to the good children. The naughty ones get lumps of black sugar sweets. 

FOOD

The typical pasta dish served in northern Italy is the Lasagna verdi alla Bolognese, accompanied with a wide variety of stuffed pastas. In the southern regions, on the other hand, a pasta dish called Pasticcio al forno is more common. The dish is a baked pasta and is stuffed with one of a wide variety of fillings.

Italian Christmas meals generally include a wide selection of meat as part of the second course. Dishes such as braised beef, roasted chicken with potatoes and roasted veal are common. A sausage made from, and filled with, pig intestines is also popular in northern Italy.

Desserts are also a common part of an Italian Christmas meal. Dishes such as nougat are common after the main course. The main traditional cake served after the meal is called Il pandoro. This cake resembles the Il torrone, which is a Milanese light cake, but does not include fillings of raisins and candied fruit

History of the first Father Christmas

Once upon a time a young man called Nicholas lived in Myra (Turkey). He was a very rich man because his parents died when he was young and left him a lot of money. Nicholas didn’t have close family and money didn’t give him happiness. Looking for the way to be happy, everyday he bought a lot of clothes, a new house… but nothing made him happy.  

One day he saw a poor man who had three daughters. This man was so poor that he didn’t have enough money to pay his daughters’ weddings. 

One night, Nicholas secretly went to his house and dropped a bag full of gold down the chimney. The bag fell into a stocking that had been hung by the fire to dry. This was repeated later with the second daughter.

Finally, determined to discover the person who had given him the money, the father secretly hid himself by the fire every evening until he caught Nicholas dropping the bag full of gold.

Nicholas begged the man not to tell anyone what he had done, because he didn’t want to bring attention to himself. But soon the news got out and when anyone received a secret gift, it was thought that maybe it was from Nicholas. Because of his kindness Nicholas was made a Saint. St.Nicholas.

With the passing of time, St. Nicholas became Santa Claus by different poets and writers; celebrating 6^th of December his appearance.

But not only was his name changed, his clothes changed too. There's a Christmas Urban Legend that says that Santa's red suit was designed by Coca-Cola and that they might even 'own' Santa, but that affirmation it is not true.

Santa changed his clothes into red on January 1st 1881 by Harper's Weekly. They published the image of Santa, complete with a big red belly, an arm full of toys and smoking a pipe. This image of Santa became very popular, with more artists drawing Santa in his red and white costume from 1900 to 1930.

A MESSAGE FROM RUDOLPH!

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