In America as you probably know we always spend time with our family who come from all over the state or city usually to have a big dinner together (which is almost always homecooked), catch up, spend time together, and watch the kids very happily tear open their usually many Christmas presents since usually every family member buys a present. We also tend to record to capture the moment. Oh and there's usually Christmas pictures too.
One thing that my British and European friends openly wonder about is our devotion to electric light displays on our houses. I'm somewhat poor, so I don't have much to show myself. But there is a neighborhood near me that makes displays specifically devoted to Christmas carols (songs). If you search for "Christmas Carol Lane" and "Kennewick, Washington", you can find more information.. maybe even a few of my own photos. It has been one of my traditions since 1984.
In France, people celebrate Christmas on the Christmas Eve, with their family, and it is an excuse for enjoying fine foods. The appetizers are usually oysters, smoked salmon or foie gras, and the main course is turkey with a filling and side of chestnuts. A cake in the shape of a tree log comes for dessert. Christians go to the midnight mass. It is a family gathering, particularly important to families with kids. Unlike in America, people normally only decorate their interiors, and the presents are put under the Christmas tree and opened either before dinner or at midnight, in the purest tradition.
@@Bellasie1 oh yes.. my British and European friends repeatedly tell me they don't decorate the outside of their houses. Nevertheless, we did host an English young woman for a few weeks, so she got to see what I spoke of. She even got to "sing carols at the spinet", as the lyrics to "Little Christmas" goes, at my folks' Wurtilizer spinet piano. She taught us a different tune to a Christmas carol we knew the lyrics for, to boot. I knew that Germans celebrate Christmas traditions on Christmas Eve, but didn't know it was a French thing as well. I suspect it must be a Catholic and older Protestant influence as you mentioned midnight mass. I also know of Yule log cake.. Yule traditions DO survive in the Americas (yes, I mean Latin America as well as the U.S.,and sorry Canadians, that's a broad reference to you, too).
My Japanese girlfriend, who is Christian, was shocked at all the gift giving at our family gathering this year. But I would like to adopt minimal gift giving myself.
In my American household in the 1970-80's, Us kids would get to open 1 gift on Christmas Even night around 8:00 pm. This was mainly to calm us kids down and make us go to sleep. Then Christmas morning, when our parents would finally wake, we'd get to open the rest. But I would have 10-20 gifts plus our stockings plus gifts from other people.
On Christmas Eve, my sister and I always got a Christmas ornament from our grandparents. We were allowed to open it before bed with our grandparents, and hang it on the tree. We'd spend Christmas morning with our parents, opening gifts, then we'd open gifts and eat dinner (always ham) at my grandparents' house in the afternoon. After living in Japan for three years, I started making handmade nengajyo (New year's cards) for my family and friends. They don't really get it, but I think they appreciate it.
My parents come from two different European countries. One celebrates on the 24th and the other celebrates on the 25th, so as a kid I got two Christmas trees with tonnes of presents under them. One at my grandma's on the 24th and the other at home on the 25th. Both Christmases were so lovely, but so very different in style because of each culture's traditions. As I got older there were fewer and fewer presents and I only got one day and one tree after my parents divorced when I was ten, but I always look back at those early memories with great fondness. Also in my mother's country, the UK, we also have a traditional Christmas Cake, but it's a very dark, very rich fruit cake with royal icing/marzipan. Obviously our traditions date back to long before commercial greenhouses and refrigeration, so it has to use seasonal ingredients and keep well. We also have Christmas pudding (also known as plum pudding) which is a large round fruit-cake-like dessert that we traditionally serve with brandy sauce and set on fire while bringing to the table. People turn the lights off and get excited while it burns. It's a lot of fun.
In the Netherlands we have 3 days! Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing day and all 3 days will be FULLY utilised to have dinner (with perhaps the Christmas Mass), breakfast, lunch and dinner, and again breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is usually spent with all family members, but is often divided between paternal family and maternal family or a mix of them. It's hardly ever the entire family at every event.
I had a German exchange student fir Christmas one year and she saud they celebrated on the 24th. Their food seemed to centre more around stollen, marzipan type treats and gingerbread rather than the rich fruit cakes we have in Ireland and UK. She was vegetarian and it was difficult to understand what she ate on Christmas day - she said her family set up a ralette which consisted of grilled veg potatoes and cheese' it seemed. I ended up serving a nut roast to her and sime vegan side dishes together with some roast potatoes and our traditional veg braused red cabbage sprouts and roast parsnips as sbe said she wanted to fully try out our menu. But I think the food may have been a little too rich for her even tho she was polite and ate it.
I remember discovering the romantic aspect of Christmas in Japan and trying to find more information in the early 2000s. An exchange student my mom knew found out I was a big Sailor Moon fan and managed to get me a copy of the Christmas cds. Years later I looked up translations of the songs and they all seemed to be changed lyrically into love songs or had banter about boyfriends and such. So thank you for the perspective of a Japanese person who has also experienced somewhat a western Christmas as well.
@@Riceball01 Happened here too. Last Christmas decoration started early in November (normally they start at the end of the month) and were dragged up to almost the end of January, then they were shelved, but unless nekomatafuyu was kidding in the UK someone (a lot of someones) has/have lost their marbles.
Things have changed in America. After Thanksgiving stores put up Christmas decorations because they are trying to extend the Christmas shopping season. Besides, Thanksgiving is not a big retail holiday.
We celebrate Thanksgiving here, obviously US, but we still have Christmas stuff in early Nov. Sometimes Holloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas all have decorations up in late Oct. And of course Hallmark has their annual Christmas movies in those months.
Just found your videos. I think they are brilliant and informative, I hope you are well. I visited Kyoto in February just before lockdown, I was lucky, my husband organised it for my birthday (I am not Paul btw, but his wife), I have been studying Japanese language and culture for 2 years now. Our son has autism, and when we were in Japan, despite his loud noises and potentially unseemly behaviour, every Japanese person we interacted with understood that he was not being rude, and that he had a disability. I will never forget that kindness and empathy. We’ve travelled to many countries, and Japan was, by far,the most accepting of my son. I guess that was my Christmas present in February! Keep making your videos. Merry Christmas.
When I lived full time in Japan 20 years ago, I don't remember KFC being so important for Christmas. My OL coworkers were typically excited to go enjoy a romantic Christmas dinner with their boyfriends in fancy French restaurants, and would certainly have been very upset if they had taken them to eat KFC that evening! Then, during the last decade, I think KFC revived their marketing campaign aggressively, and that is certainly catering more to families with young children than to young trendy couples. Am I right, Shogo-san?
Spend time with people you care about and not spend the day cooking. A great idea and one that should be considered for every holiday and celebration. People over food and gifts!
What American children want for Christmas is a mountain of many Christmas presents. The more the better!! In my personal American experience, I usually got between seven and ten Christmas presents a year plus a few odds and ends like chocolate puff square pastries, sweet hard candies, and an orange.
Christmas here in the Philippines, in particular countdowns usually begins September 1, though in some cases, some may start the countdown at August 31, while the Christmas season usually ends at first week of January, though it sometimes end at the final week of January, and I dunno why we celebrate the season for a quarter of a year. 🤔
most American children do get multiple presents on christmas. In fact, part of why black friday gets so hectic is parents taking advantage of the sales to buy christmas gifts for their kids or relative's kids. And in the event that a relative doesn't know what to get for someone, they will often gift that person money in the form of cash or a gift card.
Christmas cake doesn't surprise me, we always had a cake Yule log (Michigan USA), the chicken doesn't surprise me much either, its the closest you can get to a turkey roast
Christmas in Japan… started in the 60’s with pretty Christmas cakes on dry ice sold at every country general store without a clue to the meaning. Evolved to kids getting Christmas gifts and New Years cash. Beat that!
In Canada, Autumn through December it goes: Thanksgiving and Halloween in October. Remembrance Day in November Christmas and New Years Eve in December.
There's definitely more Christmas gifts under our tree here ^^', especially since my sister's birthday is on Christmas Eve and that's when we here start celebrating Christmas :3
Christmas is very family orientated in America and I love that. My friend had become a part of our family due to his father passing away right before they could celebrate. And my boyfriend, who lives out of state, could not make it this year. So literally my Christmas became the exact opposite of a japanese one lol
With my family I was raised by Christian parents. The tradition was Santa brought us each one present per house because I was in a separated family. But also Santa brought the stockings. That tradition continues with my son however my family isn't Christian. My wife and I are what is called Gaelic pagan. We celebrate Yule which lasts from the Solstice (December 21st) through out the entire week. Also the tree stays up until after the New Year because to take it down before then is bad luck. Hence the 12 days of Yule.
Christmas Eve you can usually open a present, it usually is pajamas or something you wear and will be seen in Christmas morning pictures. Children leave milk and cookies for Santa, and maybe a snack for his reindeer. Usually Santa brings 1 present, (The 1 thing you really wanted)and he fills your stocking . The other presents are from Parents and siblings on Christmas morning. Then we will spend time with extended family in the afternoon and have a gift exchange and Christmas dinner.
This is so cool! Love your video! In My family we always had a Christmas Eve gift tradition ☺️ it was always a set of PJs and popcorn with hot chocolate and a Christmas DVD like a mini movie night set up and we’d pick the movie to watch that night. I loved this tradition and plan to pass it to my future kids too :)
KFC pushes the chicken Christmas hard in commercials and movie product placement all around the world. "If coca cola said that santa is red, might aswell put chicken on the table for Christmas" - KFC probably
I must say that your research about the celebration of Christmas brought out lots of historical facts that’s the makings of an epic novel. In fact, I think you are a great story teller👍😊
I learned about the spending time thing from a little independently made manga that talked about how boyfriend/girlfriend time was Christmas, then on New Year you're with your family. I also learned what Christmas Cake means. Brutal.
I once saw Christmas stuff in stores in August. In Japan only Santa might bring something. No parent, grandparents, aunts, etc.. Christmas is delayed gratification for kids. Instead of being asked for this and that all the time it’s always maybe for Christmas. Santa means the child can really wish for something.
My parents always got me multiple gifts for Christmas, but said Santa only gave me one. They would even wrap it with special wrapping paper to distinguish it and sign it with extra fancy script/cursive penmanship.
I used to live in Osaka for 2 years and I liked Japanese Christmas better. Mt girlfriend just looked at me weird when I answered KFC when you ask about the food. Then her job dropped when you said it. Thanks for reminding me of better times and educating my girlfriend of one my "weird" habits.
When I (an American) was young, I would always get one big gift from Santa (the most expensive thing or the thing I wanted most like a video game console for example) as well as having my stocking filled with lots of small things like candy ect., but then all of my other gifts were from my parents and other relatives.
About the christmas decorations that you see right after Halloween, it's actually quite similar to what happen in Canada (where I live). We also got a thanksgiving celebration but it's in october, so it's not unusual to see christmas decoration pop up in shopping mall, streets, etc right after Halloween. I know that some people keep their christmas decoration and tree until the new year, but I've also seen people keep their house decoration right until april 😯
Toothbrush?! Now that is funny! I always found it charming watching how Christmas was written into certain Japanese TV dramas, the importantance getting the right person for a date, etc. And especially how women characters did not want to *become* a metaphorical "Kurisumasu Keki," or the second choice for a date--since Christmas Cakes were on steep discount the December 26th. What a fun metaphor! Great video, mahalo!
CANADIAN here, Thanks giving is before Halloween so yes all Xmas after Halloween. Swiss Chalet is a franchise that has roasted chicken Xmas dinner and considered big tradition. Lights: Christmas external lights are often left up till Easter ( Mid April) because Canadian winter & early spring are bleak.
In Germany, we have the rule of 3 christmas gifts after the 3 kings. An advise for families is to give something they want, something they need and something to read.
I'm from Brazil. Like in allLatin America,wecelebrated in the passage of 24 (night) to 25. We usually eat rabanada, arroz de natal, farofa, saplicão, pavê, turkey or chester or porky loin (those are true brazilian), and lasagna and panettone (those came from the italian immigrants as we have the largest italian immigrants in the world).
It is different everywhere but in my family we receive a few larger gifts from Santa and sever small ones such as candy, windup toys, etc. the majority of the large gifts were instead from friends and family.
Relics of St. Francis Xavier is kept in Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa, Goa, India. Thousands of devotees come to the Basilica to celebrate the feast of the saint on 3rd December every year.
For the gifts part, from my own experience always Got one present from each relative, and a few from my parents. It kinda depends from family to family
When I was a single digit age, my American parents told me that Christmas was the birthday party for Jesus Christ. The thing being celebrated was the fact that Jesus decided to stop being an invisible spirit and took on human form to teach spiritual truths to humans in a more direct, obvious way.
@@Lalairu lol yes I think generally Christmas cookies are all different kinds but a lot of people make sugar cookies into shapes related to the holidays and decorate them with frosting and sprinkles (: and then at my house we fill a bunch of tins with all the different kinds and give them out to friends and family
Here in Brazil we don’t celebrate Halloween and neither thanksgiving. So when it’s around October 20 all the shopping malls are already with Christmas decorations
Dunno for other Slovenian people but those things are pretty common in my family, just there is minor diffrence that half of my family see christmas as religion holiday but otherhalf we see it as more like spending time with someone that we like or we are really close to usually it is with a date partner. Other then that it is a lot similar as you said it in video, and another funny thing i didn't know that japanese people don't celebrate thanks giving which in my family we don't do that eather. I didn't even know about thanks giving untill i meet my first friend from America.
Yeah in the US kids measure the success of Christmas by how crowded it is under the Christmas tree that year. At least that is what I did anyway😉 So yeah most American kids hope for many gifts on Christmas.
I subscribed and hope you get your subscription goal! I enjoy your topics and like your perspective having lived in two countries. I have one comment about your delivery: I'd like to hear you speak more casually like you are talking to a single friend.. More one-on-one. I don't expect overseas travel restrictions to change next year so I may not visit Japan again. My closest connection is through UA-cam. Happy Holidays!!!
7:15 one from each employed adult in your family, though some times it becomes one from the father, one from the mother and one from each other household that composes your family. This only became a thing post 80s, when kids started learning santa doesn’t exist very early, parents were less and less at home and tried to compensate their absence with gifts. That is, it is one of the marks of decadency that hit the west on late cold war years 7:53 k, important point, kids get many presents, but not from their parents (normally, that is) at most they would get one from each employed parent. They get many presents because the entire family (and some times friends) give presents... though that might not help with filling their wallets at new years season if the parents have to buy presents for every kid in the family
The first part you mentioned, the malls selling Christmas items immediately after Halloween? Yeah, that's commonly done all over the world, especially the US. Businesses gotta get that money!
In the Philippines we keep our Christmas decorations after 3 kings which is January 3, and sometimes because of busy world or laziness we clean it up before February Hahhaha, preparing for Valentine’s Day! Thank you for sharing ur research about Christmas in Japan! I really love ur vdeos! Congratulations u achieve ur goal! Ur just aiming for 10 thou subscribers but look after less a year it’s near 700 thou subscribers already! Omedetou gozaimasu! I wish my channel will reach that success too! More power sir
In Mexico we celebrate both halloween and dia de los muertos, they become a full season in october, that ends in november 2nd, after that is independence for the rest of november, and starting in december the christmas season starts.
This was wonderful and useful. You have a nice voice for this, very warm and soothing and approachable. I am working on a story set in Kyoto in late December and I wish I could visit again and take more notes but travel is not on for most of us, not yet! The bit about KFC reminds me of a tradition we call "Jewish Christmas." Many times our family didn't do the big dinner for Christmas or Thanksgiving...and the only places open on that night are Chinese or Indian. I'd love to hear more about the KFC thing. Reserved seating, white tablecloths, low lights? Wouldn't that be something!
The amount of gifts children received depends on the price of the gift and how rich the parents are.... I remember back in 1887, my parents got my brother and I just one gift which we had to share. while my sister got multiple gifts (I believe 5 in total), but my brother and I didn't care because that one gift we got was none other than the "Nintendo Entertainment System!" so as you can see, we got one rally expensive gift that Christmas while our sister got multiple less expensive ones.
Christmas can differ so much between christianity aswell. Orthodox christians celebrate christmas for 13 days, and wait until Twelfth Night (also known as Epiphany Eve), to actually give gifts (as that was the time the three wisemen actually arrived in Betlehem... I find it fascinating and endearing the way each culture can celebrate the same thing so differently. It's what makes this world so beautiful and wonderful, I can't imagie how boring it would be if everyone did eerything exactly the same.
OMG!! It's almost like Christmas in America now! I did celebrate one year by eating KFC and making a Christmas cake. Oooh the salt and the sugar. ;) Now we celebrate Oshogatsu now. :) I really enjoyed this video.
as a Burmese, we never celebrate Christmas at our home. i don't really know of other peoples do but our family only celebrate events from myanmar tradition. the only one out is our birthday where we can get gifts from.
Shogo in some Latin American countries kids do not receive gifts on Christmas, they get them the morning of the 6 of January and its not Santa that gives them the gifts, it's the Three Kings (we call them Magi Kings in a literal translation)
Excuse me for posting some many videos in a row...
How do you spend Christmas where you're from?
In America as you probably know we always spend time with our family who come from all over the state or city usually to have a big dinner together (which is almost always homecooked), catch up, spend time together, and watch the kids very happily tear open their usually many Christmas presents since usually every family member buys a present. We also tend to record to capture the moment. Oh and there's usually Christmas pictures too.
@@datbooie8729 don’t forget the sweets, especially eggnog and hot chocolate!
One thing that my British and European friends openly wonder about is our devotion to electric light displays on our houses. I'm somewhat poor, so I don't have much to show myself. But there is a neighborhood near me that makes displays specifically devoted to Christmas carols (songs). If you search for "Christmas Carol Lane" and "Kennewick, Washington", you can find more information.. maybe even a few of my own photos. It has been one of my traditions since 1984.
In France, people celebrate Christmas on the Christmas Eve, with their family, and it is an excuse for enjoying fine foods. The appetizers are usually oysters, smoked salmon or foie gras, and the main course is turkey with a filling and side of chestnuts. A cake in the shape of a tree log comes for dessert. Christians go to the midnight mass. It is a family gathering, particularly important to families with kids. Unlike in America, people normally only decorate their interiors, and the presents are put under the Christmas tree and opened either before dinner or at midnight, in the purest tradition.
@@Bellasie1 oh yes.. my British and European friends repeatedly tell me they don't decorate the outside of their houses. Nevertheless, we did host an English young woman for a few weeks, so she got to see what I spoke of. She even got to "sing carols at the spinet", as the lyrics to "Little Christmas" goes, at my folks' Wurtilizer spinet piano. She taught us a different tune to a Christmas carol we knew the lyrics for, to boot.
I knew that Germans celebrate Christmas traditions on Christmas Eve, but didn't know it was a French thing as well. I suspect it must be a Catholic and older Protestant influence as you mentioned midnight mass. I also know of Yule log cake.. Yule traditions DO survive in the Americas (yes, I mean Latin America as well as the U.S.,and sorry Canadians, that's a broad reference to you, too).
My Japanese girlfriend, who is Christian, was shocked at all the gift giving at our family gathering this year. But I would like to adopt minimal gift giving myself.
Was she also surprised by the lack of KFC?
Youre lucky I wish I had a Japanese Christian gf to marry :)
But then you'd have to give money at New Year!
@@cryptochris9001 I wish I had an atheist Japanese girlfriend to marry 😮💨
@@shaylane5013 Hey how come? Do you ever want a family?
So in Japan, Christmas is more of a fusion of Valentine’s Day and Black Friday 🤔
I'd say New Years and the days after are more akin to Black Friday. Soooo many shops sales and people lining up to be the first in.
Don't forget bout the kfc
Educational: Check
Funny as heck: Check
Handsome host: Check
Hotel: Trivago
@random dude Put up something better then.
In my American household in the 1970-80's, Us kids would get to open 1 gift on Christmas Even night around 8:00 pm. This was mainly to calm us kids down and make us go to sleep. Then Christmas morning, when our parents would finally wake, we'd get to open the rest. But I would have 10-20 gifts plus our stockings plus gifts from other people.
On Christmas Eve, my sister and I always got a Christmas ornament from our grandparents. We were allowed to open it before bed with our grandparents, and hang it on the tree. We'd spend Christmas morning with our parents, opening gifts, then we'd open gifts and eat dinner (always ham) at my grandparents' house in the afternoon.
After living in Japan for three years, I started making handmade nengajyo (New year's cards) for my family and friends. They don't really get it, but I think they appreciate it.
My parents come from two different European countries. One celebrates on the 24th and the other celebrates on the 25th, so as a kid I got two Christmas trees with tonnes of presents under them. One at my grandma's on the 24th and the other at home on the 25th. Both Christmases were so lovely, but so very different in style because of each culture's traditions. As I got older there were fewer and fewer presents and I only got one day and one tree after my parents divorced when I was ten, but I always look back at those early memories with great fondness.
Also in my mother's country, the UK, we also have a traditional Christmas Cake, but it's a very dark, very rich fruit cake with royal icing/marzipan. Obviously our traditions date back to long before commercial greenhouses and refrigeration, so it has to use seasonal ingredients and keep well. We also have Christmas pudding (also known as plum pudding) which is a large round fruit-cake-like dessert that we traditionally serve with brandy sauce and set on fire while bringing to the table. People turn the lights off and get excited while it burns. It's a lot of fun.
In the Netherlands we have 3 days! Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing day and all 3 days will be FULLY utilised to have dinner (with perhaps the Christmas Mass), breakfast, lunch and dinner, and again breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is usually spent with all family members, but is often divided between paternal family and maternal family or a mix of them. It's hardly ever the entire family at every event.
I had a German exchange student fir Christmas one year and she saud they celebrated on the 24th. Their food seemed to centre more around stollen, marzipan type treats and gingerbread rather than the rich fruit cakes we have in Ireland and UK. She was vegetarian and it was difficult to understand what she ate on Christmas day - she said her family set up a ralette which consisted of grilled veg potatoes and cheese' it seemed. I ended up serving a nut roast to her and sime vegan side dishes together with some roast potatoes and our traditional veg braused red cabbage sprouts and roast parsnips as sbe said she wanted to fully try out our menu. But I think the food may have been a little too rich for her even tho she was polite and ate it.
In my country, once the "ber" months come, you will start to hear Mariah Carey's All i Want for Christmas is You everywhere.
I remember discovering the romantic aspect of Christmas in Japan and trying to find more information in the early 2000s.
An exchange student my mom knew found out I was a big Sailor Moon fan and managed to get me a copy of the Christmas cds. Years later I looked up translations of the songs and they all seemed to be changed lyrically into love songs or had banter about boyfriends and such.
So thank you for the perspective of a Japanese person who has also experienced somewhat a western Christmas as well.
Things have gotten a little excessive in the UK. I mean, it's 364 days until Christmas, and people have their decorations up already!
Lmao
I've heard that in some areas people have been encouraged to keep their decorations up as a means of cheering people up because of the pandemic.
@@Riceball01 Happened here too. Last Christmas decoration started early in November (normally they start at the end of the month) and were dragged up to almost the end of January, then they were shelved, but unless nekomatafuyu was kidding in the UK someone (a lot of someones) has/have lost their marbles.
In many German supermarkets there is already Christmas stuff being sold
I'm from Glasgow Scotland & Christmas is a day we give & receive gifts & spend it with family & people who are close to us! 🏴 🎅
Did you have any Scottish short bread biscuits 🍪 my friend and go ranger fc ⚽🧤🥅
@@lukemaris6910 you know us well 👍 😁
Weegie
Things have changed in America. After Thanksgiving stores put up Christmas decorations because they are trying to extend the Christmas shopping season. Besides, Thanksgiving is not a big retail holiday.
But Black Friday sure is
@@lrod312 it absolutely was designed and set up to be.
Weak. In my country Christmas season starts in septemberand ends in new years. January 10 if you want to stretch it even further.
@@myfirstoocwarning8483 Christmas is a western event
We celebrate Thanksgiving here, obviously US, but we still have Christmas stuff in early Nov.
Sometimes Holloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas all have decorations up in late Oct.
And of course Hallmark has their annual Christmas movies in those months.
Just found your videos. I think they are brilliant and informative, I hope you are well. I visited Kyoto in February just before lockdown, I was lucky, my husband organised it for my birthday (I am not Paul btw, but his wife), I have been studying Japanese language and culture for 2 years now. Our son has autism, and when we were in Japan, despite his loud noises and potentially unseemly behaviour, every Japanese person we interacted with understood that he was not being rude, and that he had a disability. I will never forget that kindness and empathy. We’ve travelled to many countries, and Japan was, by far,the most accepting of my son. I guess that was my Christmas present in February! Keep making your videos. Merry Christmas.
When I lived full time in Japan 20 years ago, I don't remember KFC being so important for Christmas. My OL coworkers were typically excited to go enjoy a romantic Christmas dinner with their boyfriends in fancy French restaurants, and would certainly have been very upset if they had taken them to eat KFC that evening!
Then, during the last decade, I think KFC revived their marketing campaign aggressively, and that is certainly catering more to families with young children than to young trendy couples. Am I right, Shogo-san?
They don’t take them to the KC . The Japanese always order take out
That does it for me. KFC and CAKE for Christmas every year from now on.
You can tell when it's Christmas here in the UK, Tescos start displaying their Easter eggs. :)
I love the professionalism of this channel and the way you explain topics. Keep up the great content
This video's are so high quality and people should sub to Shogo!
Seems like your channel is finally popping off man! Congratulations!
Spend time with people you care about and not spend the day cooking. A great idea and one that should be considered for every holiday and celebration. People over food and gifts!
Japan really didn’t get theChrismas Memo... but that KFC with cake doesn’t sound bad 🤣
What American children want for Christmas is a mountain of many Christmas presents. The more the better!! In my personal American experience, I usually got between seven and ten Christmas presents a year plus a few odds and ends like chocolate puff square pastries, sweet hard candies, and an orange.
Very nice to know more about Xmas traditions in Japan ❤️
Christmas here in the Philippines, in particular countdowns usually begins September 1, though in some cases, some may start the countdown at August 31, while the Christmas season usually ends at first week of January, though it sometimes end at the final week of January, and I dunno why we celebrate the season for a quarter of a year. 🤔
Do you celebrate three kings day?
most American children do get multiple presents on christmas. In fact, part of why black friday gets so hectic is parents taking advantage of the sales to buy christmas gifts for their kids or relative's kids. And in the event that a relative doesn't know what to get for someone, they will often gift that person money in the form of cash or a gift card.
Christmas cake doesn't surprise me, we always had a cake Yule log (Michigan USA), the chicken doesn't surprise me much either, its the closest you can get to a turkey roast
What a great growth in the last days Shogo! Looks like you will reach your goal early.
Christmas in Japan… started in the 60’s with pretty Christmas cakes on dry ice sold at every country general store without a clue to the meaning. Evolved to kids getting Christmas gifts and New Years cash. Beat that!
In Canada, Autumn through December it goes:
Thanksgiving and Halloween in October.
Remembrance Day in November
Christmas and New Years Eve in December.
There's definitely more Christmas gifts under our tree here ^^', especially since my sister's birthday is on Christmas Eve and that's when we here start celebrating Christmas :3
Thanks for this video Shogo~Sensei. I like the contents of your channel!
Christmas is very family orientated in America and I love that. My friend had become a part of our family due to his father passing away right before they could celebrate. And my boyfriend, who lives out of state, could not make it this year. So literally my Christmas became the exact opposite of a japanese one lol
With my family I was raised by Christian parents. The tradition was Santa brought us each one present per house because I was in a separated family. But also Santa brought the stockings. That tradition continues with my son however my family isn't Christian. My wife and I are what is called Gaelic pagan. We celebrate Yule which lasts from the Solstice (December 21st) through out the entire week. Also the tree stays up until after the New Year because to take it down before then is bad luck. Hence the 12 days of Yule.
Christmas Eve you can usually open a present, it usually is pajamas or something you wear and will be seen in Christmas morning pictures. Children leave milk and cookies for Santa, and maybe a snack for his reindeer. Usually Santa brings 1 present, (The 1 thing you really wanted)and he fills your stocking . The other presents are from Parents and siblings on Christmas morning. Then we will spend time with extended family in the afternoon and have a gift exchange and Christmas dinner.
Thank you for explaining the chicken/Christmas connection! Love your videos. Much success to you in 2021 and beyond.
Christmas has become a commercial event in America also
This is so cool! Love your video!
In My family we always had a Christmas Eve gift tradition ☺️ it was always a set of PJs and popcorn with hot chocolate and a Christmas DVD like a mini movie night set up and we’d pick the movie to watch that night. I loved this tradition and plan to pass it to my future kids too :)
Hi Shogo! I just want to say thank you so much for the subtitles! It helps a lot! Keep up the good work❤
As long as you spend it with your family that is Christmas to me.
Awww so Christmas is like valentine day
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Shogo. 🎅
KFC pushes the chicken Christmas hard in commercials and movie product placement all around the world. "If coca cola said that santa is red, might aswell put chicken on the table for Christmas" - KFC probably
Just found this and this was really fun, so I’m coming along on this journey 😁
I must say that your research about the celebration of Christmas brought out lots of historical facts that’s the makings of an epic novel. In fact, I think you are a great story teller👍😊
4:20
I can relate a bit with this, but mostly because of my vacations always being the same
I learned about the spending time thing from a little independently made manga that talked about how boyfriend/girlfriend time was Christmas, then on New Year you're with your family.
I also learned what Christmas Cake means. Brutal.
That is so cool 😎
Great job!
😂🤣😂 tooth brush
You've certainly and rightfully smashed that subscriber goal!! 😁
I once saw Christmas stuff in stores in August. In Japan only Santa might bring something. No parent, grandparents, aunts, etc.. Christmas is delayed gratification for kids. Instead of being asked for this and that all the time it’s always maybe for Christmas. Santa means the child can really wish for something.
My parents always got me multiple gifts for Christmas, but said Santa only gave me one. They would even wrap it with special wrapping paper to distinguish it and sign it with extra fancy script/cursive penmanship.
I used to live in Osaka for 2 years and I liked Japanese Christmas better. Mt girlfriend just looked at me weird when I answered KFC when you ask about the food. Then her job dropped when you said it. Thanks for reminding me of better times and educating my girlfriend of one my "weird" habits.
I have watched other videos on Japanese Christmas.. thank you for additional perspectives!
The cake is definitely cute.
I am a new subscriber to your channel. I hope you have a good new years. I love Japan and wish to go back some day to visit.
You Channel grow fast man Congrate
"when Halloween is over it immediately switches to Christmas stuff in stores"
Me:well to be fair america does that same crap as well
Christmas season in my country starts at September.
we don't have thanksgiving in november here in canada so i understand the feeling of 2 months of christmas...
Im loving your channel mate. Big hug from Portugal!
When I (an American) was young, I would always get one big gift from Santa (the most expensive thing or the thing I wanted most like a video game console for example) as well as having my stocking filled with lots of small things like candy ect., but then all of my other gifts were from my parents and other relatives.
As the person who often cooks Christmas/Yule dinner.... I completely endorse the idea of KFC chicken for Christmas
About the christmas decorations that you see right after Halloween, it's actually quite similar to what happen in Canada (where I live). We also got a thanksgiving celebration but it's in october, so it's not unusual to see christmas decoration pop up in shopping mall, streets, etc right after Halloween. I know that some people keep their christmas decoration and tree until the new year, but I've also seen people keep their house decoration right until april 😯
Chicken and Cake? Damn I could be saving money if I celebrate this way.
Toothbrush?! Now that is funny!
I always found it charming watching how Christmas was written into certain Japanese TV dramas, the importantance getting the right person for a date, etc.
And especially how women characters did not want to *become* a metaphorical "Kurisumasu Keki," or the second choice for a date--since Christmas Cakes were on steep discount the December 26th. What a fun metaphor!
Great video, mahalo!
CANADIAN here, Thanks giving is before Halloween so yes all Xmas after Halloween. Swiss Chalet is a franchise that has roasted chicken Xmas dinner and considered big tradition. Lights: Christmas external lights are often left up till Easter ( Mid April) because Canadian winter & early spring are bleak.
In Germany, we have the rule of 3 christmas gifts after the 3 kings. An advise for families is to give something they want, something they need and something to read.
I'm from Brazil. Like in allLatin America,wecelebrated in the passage of 24 (night) to 25. We usually eat rabanada, arroz de natal, farofa, saplicão, pavê, turkey or chester or porky loin (those are true brazilian), and lasagna and panettone (those came from the italian immigrants as we have the largest italian immigrants in the world).
It is different everywhere but in my family we receive a few larger gifts from Santa and sever small ones such as candy, windup toys, etc. the majority of the large gifts were instead from friends and family.
Christmas is a commercial event in the USA too. Ever watch TV during Christmas with all the adverts for sales??
This was a perfect presentation. Thank you
Relics of St. Francis Xavier is kept in Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa, Goa, India. Thousands of devotees come to the Basilica to celebrate the feast of the saint on 3rd December every year.
I don't expect everyone to celebrate Christmas and I'm okay with it
For the gifts part, from my own experience always Got one present from each relative, and a few from my parents. It kinda depends from family to family
When I was a single digit age, my American parents told me that Christmas was the birthday party for Jesus Christ. The thing being celebrated was the fact that Jesus decided to stop being an invisible spirit and took on human form to teach spiritual truths to humans in a more direct, obvious way.
There's no limit for gifts depending on available finances
The real question is do you guys eat christmas cookies in Japan? I mean a cake is okay, but christmas isn´t christmas without cookies.
What kind of cookies?
@@Lalairu yes
@@Lalairu as many kinds as you can possibly bake
@@Jenny-tm3cm I thought it was an specific kind of cookie. Nice to see there are not limits 😂
@@Lalairu lol yes I think generally Christmas cookies are all different kinds but a lot of people make sugar cookies into shapes related to the holidays and decorate them with frosting and sprinkles (: and then at my house we fill a bunch of tins with all the different kinds and give them out to friends and family
Here in Brazil we don’t celebrate Halloween and neither thanksgiving. So when it’s around October 20 all the shopping malls are already with Christmas decorations
I always make sure to get kfc for New Years specifically as an inside joke to myself about Japanese Christmas.
Uk Christmas would be the best if we actually gt snow 😂
Dunno for other Slovenian people but those things are pretty common in my family, just there is minor diffrence that half of my family see christmas as religion holiday but otherhalf we see it as more like spending time with someone that we like or we are really close to usually it is with a date partner. Other then that it is a lot similar as you said it in video, and another funny thing i didn't know that japanese people don't celebrate thanks giving which in my family we don't do that eather. I didn't even know about thanks giving untill i meet my first friend from America.
Yeah in the US kids measure the success of Christmas by how crowded it is under the Christmas tree that year. At least that is what I did anyway😉 So yeah most American kids hope for many gifts on Christmas.
Yes, here in America, children usually receive more than 1 gift. It's the one single day of the year parents get to spoil their children.
I subscribed and hope you get your subscription goal! I enjoy your topics and like your perspective having lived in two countries. I have one comment about your delivery: I'd like to hear you speak more casually like you are talking to a single friend.. More one-on-one. I don't expect overseas travel restrictions to change next year so I may not visit Japan again. My closest connection is through UA-cam. Happy Holidays!!!
👍👍
7:15 one from each employed adult in your family, though some times it becomes one from the father, one from the mother and one from each other household that composes your family. This only became a thing post 80s, when kids started learning santa doesn’t exist very early, parents were less and less at home and tried to compensate their absence with gifts. That is, it is one of the marks of decadency that hit the west on late cold war years
7:53 k, important point, kids get many presents, but not from their parents (normally, that is) at most they would get one from each employed parent. They get many presents because the entire family (and some times friends) give presents... though that might not help with filling their wallets at new years season if the parents have to buy presents for every kid in the family
Omg the toothbrush story was heartbreaking!!! No child should get a toothbrush for Christmas! Ouch! You deserve a PlayStation 5 after that !
I love the KFC meal for Christmas meal.
The first part you mentioned, the malls selling Christmas items immediately after Halloween? Yeah, that's commonly done all over the world, especially the US. Businesses gotta get that money!
In the Philippines we keep our Christmas decorations after 3 kings which is January 3, and sometimes because of busy world or laziness we clean it up before February Hahhaha, preparing for Valentine’s Day! Thank you for sharing ur research about Christmas in Japan! I really love ur vdeos! Congratulations u achieve ur goal! Ur just aiming for 10 thou subscribers but look after less a year it’s near 700 thou subscribers already! Omedetou gozaimasu! I wish my channel will reach that success too! More power sir
Interesting video. I'm wondering if turkeys are commercially produced in Japan. In America Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners often include turkey.
In Mexico we celebrate both halloween and dia de los muertos, they become a full season in october, that ends in november 2nd, after that is independence for the rest of november, and starting in december the christmas season starts.
Halloween and Christmas is so weird to think abt in mexico
@@sleeperboi8701 christmas is our most beloved celebration, and we also love halloween, the children especially.
This was wonderful and useful. You have a nice voice for this, very warm and soothing and approachable. I am working on a story set in Kyoto in late December and I wish I could visit again and take more notes but travel is not on for most of us, not yet!
The bit about KFC reminds me of a tradition we call "Jewish Christmas." Many times our family didn't do the big dinner for Christmas or Thanksgiving...and the only places open on that night are Chinese or Indian. I'd love to hear more about the KFC thing. Reserved seating, white tablecloths, low lights? Wouldn't that be something!
Chinese food for dinner, and then go to the movies! Yay!
The amount of gifts children received depends on the price of the gift and how rich the parents are.... I remember back in 1887, my parents got my brother and I just one gift which we had to share. while my sister got multiple gifts (I believe 5 in total), but my brother and I didn't care because that one gift we got was none other than the "Nintendo Entertainment System!" so as you can see, we got one rally expensive gift that Christmas while our sister got multiple less expensive ones.
Christmas can differ so much between christianity aswell. Orthodox christians celebrate christmas for 13 days, and wait until Twelfth Night (also known as Epiphany Eve), to actually give gifts (as that was the time the three wisemen actually arrived in Betlehem... I find it fascinating and endearing the way each culture can celebrate the same thing so differently. It's what makes this world so beautiful and wonderful, I can't imagie how boring it would be if everyone did eerything exactly the same.
In Belgium Christmas gets really weird.
Your channel is so underrated
OMG!! It's almost like Christmas in America now! I did celebrate one year by eating KFC and making a Christmas cake. Oooh the salt and the sugar. ;) Now we celebrate Oshogatsu now. :) I really enjoyed this video.
I can't imagine a samurai celebrating Christmas
as a Burmese, we never celebrate Christmas at our home. i don't really know of other peoples do but our family only celebrate events from myanmar tradition. the only one out is our birthday where we can get gifts from.
Shogo in some Latin American countries kids do not receive gifts on Christmas, they get them the morning of the 6 of January and its not Santa that gives them the gifts, it's the Three Kings (we call them Magi Kings in a literal translation)