Merii Kurisumasu メリークリスマス (Merry Christmas!)

Our Australian Christmas traditions include lights, a Christmas tree, and possibly a barbecue in the backyard - in Japan, it’s tradition to enjoy KFC on Christmas instead!

While it isn’t a national holiday in Japan, as only about 1 percent of Japan’s population is Christian, Christmas is still celebrated throughout the country. If you are visiting before the New Year in Japan, you will find many things traditionally associated with Christmas, including decorations, Christmas markets, and beautiful lights and illuminations throughout the streets.

In Japan, Christmas is the time for friends and couples to have parties, make plans to meet up for dinner, and celebrate as much as they can. However, it is also an important occasion to enjoy KFC. Every Christmas, an estimated 3.6 million Japanese families get their holiday meal from KFC. The demand for KFC on Christmas in Japan is so high that people will start placing their orders for the special Christmas menu more than six weeks in advance. If you try and wait in line on Christmas day, you might be standing for hours on end waiting for your bucket of chicken! 

But why is this the case? The reason goes back to 1974 when KFC Japan launched a massive national Christmas marketing campaign which proved to be a huge success. Today, it is a core part of their tradition and has become the most popular meal for Christmas in Japan.

To celebrate Christmas, members of the Japanese Club created Christmas Cards for their friends and family. These cards included both traditional Japanese and Australian symbolism, as well as Christmas wishes in Japanese. Although they might not be having KFC for Christmas this year, the members of the Japanese Club are wished farewell as they finish up the year with our final meeting as a club.

みなさん、メリークリスマス!

Minasan, Merii Kurisumasu! (Merry Christmas Everyone!)

Kind regards,
Ms. Tooby
Classroom Teacher