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As the holiday season approaches, do you ever wonder how Christmas and New Year\u2019s are celebrated in Japan? Both holidays are widely celebrated, but Japan has only been celebrating Christmas for about 500 years! New Year\u2019s is a much bigger, much older celebration. In this article, we\u2019ll take a look at these two popular year-end holidays, as well as what you can expect if you celebrate them in Japan.<\/p>\n
Christmas is an imported holiday for Japanese people, but they\u2019ve still found ways to make it their own<\/a>.<\/p>\n Technically, Christmas Eve is more of a popular holiday in Japan than Christmas day. While neither dates are federal holidays, families will celebrate together with a special dinner and children will open presents.<\/p>\n There is only one way to say \u201cMerry Christmas\u201d in Japanese, and it sounds about the same as it would in English! \u30e1\u30ea\u30fc\u30af\u30ea\u30b9\u30de\u30b9 (merii kurisumasu<\/em>) is a loan phrase from English. It is Merry Christmas, <\/em>but with the slight twist of a more Japanese pronunciation.<\/p>\n Because it\u2019s a loan phrase, there is no politer way<\/a> to say Merry Christmas<\/em> in Japanese. Fortunately, \u30e1\u30ea\u30fc\u30af\u30ea\u30b9\u30de\u30b9 isn\u2019t considered an impolite<\/strong> phrase, either. Feel free to wish your friends, your elders, or even your boss a very \u30e1\u30ea\u30fc\u30af\u30ea\u30b9\u30de\u30b9!<\/p>\n Christmas d\u00e9cor in Japan is similar to what you\u2019d find in your own country. Christmas trees may be smaller, as Japanese homes can run on the small side<\/a>. Christmas illuminations are adored by the Japanese and can be found everywhere<\/a>. Wreaths, Santa-themed decorations, and even mistletoe are common in Japanese homes and Christmas parties.<\/p>\n Unlike many western cultures, Japanese families do not gather for a large Christmas dinner. Instead, the nuclear family gathers for a festive dinner on Christmas Eve. The main course? Fried chicken. Kentucky Fried Chicken is especially popular for the true holiday cheer. In fact, while you might not find the local KFC packed to the brim with families on Christmas Eve, you might be hard-pressed to order takeout on December 24th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n KFC in Japan opens pre-orders for Christmas dinner as early as late November, with offerings<\/a> of fried chicken in festive buckets, roast chicken thighs, and even a premium rotisserie chicken for the truly ravenous.<\/p>\n Christmas cookies are not popular in Japan, but cake is a different matter. This isn\u2019t your grandma\u2019s fruitcake; Japanese Christmas cake<\/a> is typically strawberry shortcake covered in snow-white whipped cream. It is always topped with luxurious strawberries, which are a winter fruit in Japan. You needn\u2019t feel pressured to make your own cake for Christmas; in Japan, you can order a Christmas cake just about anywhere.<\/p>\n There are few carolers in Japan, but many Christmas songs can be heard wherever you go. Two especially popular tunes are Mariah Carey\u2019s All I Want for Christmas is You<\/em> and Beethoven\u2019s Ode to Joy. <\/em><\/p>\n Japanese children will often receive a single Christmas present from their parents, and perhaps some money from their grandparents. New Year\u2019s is more of a gift-giving holiday that children look forward to in Japan.<\/p>\n As mentioned earlier, Christmas Eve is the main Yuletide holiday in Japan. It is celebrated more with romantic dates than with family gatherings. Very few people go to church, but almost everyone who has a romantic partner will go out to eat, visit a Christmas Market<\/a>, and enjoy the Christmas lights together. It might be more accurate to think of Christmas as the third Valentine\u2019s Day<\/a> that Japan celebrates.<\/p>\n Despite its differences in Christmas traditions when compared to other countries, Japan still experiences the warmth, hope, and seasonal excitement that anyone who celebrates Christmas can relate to. Christmas is a unique experience in Japan, and we encourage a visit during the holiday season.<\/p>\n \u304a\u6b63\u6708 (o <\/em>shougatsu), or New Year\u2019s, is one of Japan\u2019s biggest holidays. It\u2019s officially celebrated from January 1st<\/sup> through the 3rd<\/sup>, but traditions and celebrations of \u5e74\u672b (nenmatsu<\/em>), or the year\u2019s end, can begin as early as the beginning of December.<\/p>\n There are two major New Year\u2019s greetings in Japanese.<\/p>\n \u826f\u3044\u304a\u5e74\u3092\uff01 (Yoi o toshi o!<\/em>) \u2013 Have a great New Year!<\/strong> \u3042\u3051\u307e\u3057\u3066\u304a\u3081\u3067\u3068\u3046\uff01 (Akemashite omedetou!<\/em>) \u2013 Happy New Year! In Japan, New Year\u2019s decorations are very natural. There are no illuminations (although Christmas lights may still be up and twinkling around the country). Traditional New Year\u2019s decorations<\/a> consist of fresh pine branches, bamboo, and thick ropes made of straw. Each of these are symbolic in the Japanese Shinto religion, which holds the belief that gods are present in objects. Another common Japanese New Year\u2019s decoration is a tower made of Japanese rice cakes, called \u93e1\u3082\u3061 (kagami mochi<\/em>)<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Food is a big part of Japanese New Year celebrations. Much like the western Christmas tradition, everyone gathers with extended family to enjoy some festive treats.<\/p>\n The main event is called \u304a\u305b\u3061 (osechi<\/em>)<\/a>, a bountiful arrangement of symbolic<\/a>, traditional Japanese foods. From simmered vegetables to delicious prawn, osechi<\/em> is healthy and delicious. It is decoratively arrayed in special bento<\/em> boxes<\/a> and shared amongst the family. Some prefer to make their own osechi<\/em>\u2014an effort that may take up to three days!\u2014while others choose to order it. Like Christmas cakes, the osechi<\/em> market is vast, but should be approached in a timely manner if you want the good options. Osechi<\/em> is eaten on New Year\u2019s Day by families all over Japan.<\/p>\n Before the osechi<\/em> box is opened on New Year\u2019s Day, many Japanese people turn to buckwheat noodles called \u305d\u3070 (soba<\/em>)<\/a> on New Year\u2019s Eve. This New Year\u2019s Eve noodle dish is called \u5e74\u8d8a\u3057\u305d\u3070 (toshi koshi soba<\/em>), or \u201cend of the year soba<\/em>\u201d. It symbolizes longevity, as the noodles are long and never cut. Toshi koshi soba<\/em> is often eaten in a warm, mild soup with scallions, grated ginger, and perhaps some fish cakes. Younger people are distancing themselves from this particular dish, but personally, we think it\u2019s delicious.<\/p>\n Finally, the New Year\u2019s mochi<\/em>, often pounded by hand as a year\u2019s end tradition, is eaten on New Year\u2019s Eve and<\/em> on New Year\u2019s Day. This chewy rice powder cake has no distinct flavor, but people will either dip it in a soy sauce glaze and cook it, powder it with sweet soy powder, or cook it in a soup called \u304a\u96d1\u716e (ozouni<\/em>). Just be careful to thoroughly chew your mochi!<\/em> It presents an extreme choking hazard, to the point that the Japanese government issues a warning every year.<\/p>\n New Year\u2019s in Japan is packed with traditions and history. To begin with, people will clean their houses! \u5927\u6383\u9664 (oosouji<\/em>)<\/a>, or \u201cthe big clean\u201d is an effort to \u201cclear out\u201d bad spirits and troubles of the old year and prepare a fresh, clean space for the New Year spirit. This spirit is welcomed in with a straw decoration hung on the door.<\/p>\n While the holiday cheer of the west is spread with Christmas cards, Japanese people prefer \u5e74\u8cc0\u6240 (nengajo<\/em>), or Japanese New Year\u2019s cards<\/a>. These decorative post cards either have the theme of the year\u2019s zodiac (this year, it\u2019s a cow), or perhaps a family photo. Stamps are included already on nengajo<\/em>, so all you have to do is fill out the address, write a short message, and put it in the post before your area\u2019s deadline. Your nengajo<\/em> will arrive on New Year\u2019s Day, and if you have a permanent address in Japan, you\u2019re likely to get a handful yourself! Nengajo<\/em> are a delightful way to experience New Year\u2019s greetings from your family and your friends.<\/p>\n On New Year\u2019s Eve, many Japanese people will visit a local shrine and stand in line to ring the shrine\u2019s traditional bell. This bell ringing<\/a>, known as \u9664\u591c\u306e\u9418 (joya no kane<\/em>), symbolizes the ringing out of bad spirits\u2014much like with the \u201cbig clean,\u201d this is done in order to welcome in good spirits of the New Year.<\/p>\n As New Year\u2019s Day dawns, many people in Japan will climb a mountain or hill to watch the first sunrise. This \u521d\u65e5\u306e\u51fa (hatsu hinodeu<\/em>), or \u201cfirst sunrise\u201d is believed to bring luck<\/a> to those who witness it.<\/p>\n After this, family groups will again visit a shrine, this time to cast five yen coins into the offering box and pray for a fortunate year. This practice<\/a>, called \u521d\u8a63 (hatsumoude<\/em>) is popular whether or not the people attending are religious. Though typically a Shinto tradition, Buddhist temples open for celebrators and are just as popular. Charms and New Year\u2019s goods are offered, food stalls are opened, and locals gather to wish each other a happy new year.<\/p>\n While there are no official New Year\u2019s Day presents, children will receive money in decorative envelopes called \u304a\u5e74\u7389 (o toshi dama<\/em>). Depending on the child\u2019s age, the amount of o toshi dama<\/em> can go up to 50 dollars (5,000 yen) per envelope! Japanese children are often more excited about o toshi dama<\/em> than they are about Christmas presents, as they can use their money to buy the toys of their choice. Children in Japan will receive this money until they come of age at 20 years old.<\/p>\n New Year\u2019s in Japan might feel more like Christmas than Christmas in Japan might, but both holidays are worth experiencing. Japanese oshougatsu<\/em> is a uniquely Japanese tradition that will give you a deeper glimpse into the heart of Japan\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n Christmas and New Year\u2019s are celebrated differently in Japan than they are in other countries. But just like most countries, both holidays involve a lot of food, family, and fun. What is your favorite Christmas or New Year\u2019s tradition? How do you celebrate these holidays in your country? We would love to hear from you! Happy holidays, and thank you for reading this article on New Year\u2019s and Christmas in Japan.<\/p>\n Clozemaster\u00a0<\/strong>has been designed to help you learn the language in context by filling in the gaps in authentic sentences. With\u00a0features such as Grammar Challenges, Cloze-Listening, and Cloze-Reading, the app will let you emphasize all the competencies necessary to become fluent in Japanese.<\/p>\nJapanese Christmas Greetings<\/h3>\n
Christmas Decorations in Japan<\/h3>\n
Christmas Food in Japan<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nChristmas Traditions in Japan<\/h3>\n
New Year\u2019s in Japan<\/h2>\n
Japanese New Year\u2019s Greetings<\/h3>\n
\nYoi o toshi wo<\/em> literally means, \u201cA good year.\u201d It\u2019s most often exchanged with people who you will not be meeting again until after the New Year holidays are over. The implication is a wish for a happy end of the year in addition to a prosperous New Year.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Akemashite omedetou <\/em>has the same nuance as the English phrase, \u201cHappy New Year!\u201d This is the greeting to use with someone you\u2019re seeing for the first time in the new year.<\/p>\nNew Year\u2019s Decorations in Japan<\/h3>\n
New Year\u2019s Food in Japan<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nNew Year\u2019s Traditions in Japan<\/h3>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
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\n \n Learn Japanese in context with Clozemaster<\/h2>\n