December 24 th

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas!  メリークリスマス!

Are they Christian?  Most of them are not. However, people say “Merry Christmas.” Even they don’t know it’s the day when Christ was born. In Japanese Christ and Christmas sound very different. until they learn English and see the spelling, they could not have that idea.

Japanese are willing to adopt any foreign customs which they think is cool, convenient, and beneficial for their life.  Then they adjust and improve little by little. Finally, they forget their origin.  It is the DAN of Japan.

What do they do?

Christmas in Japan is a day for little kids and a boyfriend and girlfriend. They can receive a Christmas present from Santa Claus, Usually one from Santa. They believe Sana Clause. ONE from Santa. not from families.

For a young couple, romantic date day. going out for dinner and viewing Christmas lights. exchanging Christmas presents. Many restaurants and hotels have special offers. It’s a big event for a young couple, some for the old couple. Special date day! People spend a lot of money and love it.

When I was young and alone, we have girls’ Christmas. Once my sister invited me to a newlywed home. Women who don’t have anybody to go out with force to feel lonely.

Slang

 クリぼっち;kuribocchi” spending Christmas alone.

クリ　Kuri; 　Christmas  　ぼっち　Bocchi; Hitoribocchi alone

メリクリ; Merry-Chri　short form of Merry Christmas メリークリスマス

What do they eat?

Food  Christmas decoration cake and chicken. Roast chicken and fried chicken from KFC became a popular selection. You will see a long line in front of KFC on ChristmasEve. All supermarkets and convenience stores sell fried chicken and roast chicken, not a whole.

Most seem to be the same as U.S. Christmas trees are the same but both food and tree are very different in size!  Japanese ones are much smaller.

Kids love Christmas Eve

We have a party on Christmas eve. Usually, it is the last day of school before winter break. So, for the kids, December 24 is the most favorite day when they will have a present from Santa Clause, and eat Christmas dinner and cake, and no more school!!!!  New year gift to kids called Otoshidam, new year money will come too! Much more; sleep late get up late, play games, have fun with the family. 

December 25th Christmas

On December 25th kids opened a Christmas present from Sant Clause, Expect that nothing happens. Only Christians go to church. The majority forget what is “Christmas” means.  All of a sudden decorations of department stores and town are becoming for New year, which is the biggest celebration in Japan.

Another slang クリスマスケーキ；Christmas cake

In Japan after Christmas eve, cakes aren’t sold at all, which means nobody wants to buy a cake after the 25th. There is slang for an unmarried woman aged 25 up, “クリスマスケーキ; Christmas cake” which means nobody wants to marry. Such harassment! However, it was not harassment until recently. When I was in my 20s, I believed that too, so I only could feel bad about myself and just accept the ‘Christmas cake.’

Now I can say I decide all about my life!!!!

Forget -year party　忘年会　Bonenkai (around Christmas time)

Usually Japanese do not have a fun party very often but this is a special party Only once a year in December.

We have experienced things good and bad in a year but at the end of the year, we should reflect and forget things bad and remember things we enjoyed. Most of the workplaces hold Bonenkai Bo Nen Kai.

忘　ぼう (bou)：to forget  　　　　忘れる（わすれる；wasueru)

年　ねん（nen); year     　　　　年　(とし;  toshi)

会   かい (kai)； meeting, to meet　　会う(あう；au)

Bnenkai means literally forget year meeting(party. People spend time eating, drinking, and talking over a year. sometimes they play games and Karaoke, So relaxing and fun.

Bonenkai at workplace

However, Bonenkai at the workplace is like an organized event with MC and speeches like 50% work and 50% fun and it is also a place of 飲ミニケーション where they can make much more conversation more freely over drinking. It is a Japanese work culture, though it is being changed.

飲む　Nomu; to drink, drink alcohol

コミュニケーション；communication

So sometimes we have 3 or 4 Bonenkai. We need to schedule to attend all of them because Bonenkai is only once and to get ready for a new year. 

Bonenkai at the workplace should be finished before the last day of work and the end of the year and the new year is the time when the Japanese have family time.

Bonenkai is for everyone!

Even children, students, moms, seniors, clubs, and neighbors have their own Bonenkai with snacks and soft drinks. December is the party month. 

Japanese are very busy and special month. 

 

大掃除　Osoji, Spring cleaning　

To welcome God of the new year, we clean the house. At school students spend more time cleaning than usual. sweep away the dust of the house, trying to sweep away dust on our minds.

That’s why most Japanese are doing cleaning the house without thinking that we are going to welcome God of a year. Me either, I did not think of why until I become a Japanese Culture Consultant,

I personally like the idea to clean and welcome a new year. It takes time too! However, it’s a custom we have done for a long.

We call this spring cleaning. Osoji 大掃除

大；Oo means big   大きい

掃除；Soji means cleaning 掃除 そうじ

Why don’t you try spring cleaning in December?

You will feel clean and get ready for meeting a new you!　

大晦日 Omisoka　おおみそか：Deceber 31st is the day that divides a past year and a new coming year. Everything starts new next day January 1.

大　おお　o big  

It is a very important day for me and the Japanese people in general. These two days still keep Japanese tradition. I have realized new year’s day is as important for me as Christmas or Thanksgiving for the American people I have known. People spend time, money, and energy and have a very special feeling.  

Everyone has his/her own special days. religious or traditional.  As a Japanese, I must do a few things to do at the end of a year.

Prepare for  おせち　Osechi; new year celebration traditional dish

Also, they show how to cook or prepare Osetchi, which is a special dish for the celebration of the new year. Ingredients and food have represented wishes and reasons to be used for a celebration. For example, Lotus has wholes so we can see the future. Also, they are mainly boiled or baked so they can be preserved for a few days. Osechi enables them to save cooking time for women and they can take more free time. 　

Big Changes of Osechi

These days they can order Osechi from a supermarket, department store, and even from expensive Japanese restaurants or hotels. They look so beautiful. Osechi is very Japanese but for younger people more variations like Western-style or Chinese style. It’s funny because Osechi is a traditional Japanese dish it allows us to add and enjoy foreign tastes. Japanese are very flexible to adapt and change for their convenience. 

That’s the Japanese way of thinking. maybe culture!

Watch TV  

NHK Kohaku Uta Gassenused to be a very popular TV program. It’s a music show very popular female singers and male singers make two teams. Red for female singers and white for male singers. Kohaku means Red and White. There are judges and the two teams compete. 

The NHK tries hard to attract as much audience. It was the most popular program of the day but now there are many different TV programs and other entertainments. 

elect popular singers of the year from different generations. 

Listen to the 108 gongs of a temple over midnight.

It’s from  Buddhism. Everybody has 108 worries, troubles, suffering, and flaws, even though he? she looks perfect. While listening to the gong, each worry disappears and our minds can be clear up for a new year.

Eat Toshikoshi  Soba (noodle)

It is proper to eat Toshikochi soba (noddles) listening to the gong. Soban is a long and skinny noodle. We wish our life could be long and skinny, which means nothing happens, not having trouble, and living long peacefully.

That’s Japanese culture of mine!

In my family, Ikebana and offering flowers to Buddhist portable shrines and Shinto altar. At the gate or entrance, new year decorations. 

They mean a welcome new year with total cleanliness and purity.

Take a moment to reflect on the year

Personally, I will reflect on my 10 years in the States

• Time flies and it’s already end of December. In Japan, Christmas is a big event for everyone including Non-Christian. After Christmas, we prepare for a new year. At school and work, people try to look back at the year and reflect on themselves and their achievements. Reflection and evaluation are a very important procedure for improvements for the new year.
  For me this year 大晦日Omisoka. December 31^st is a little different from usual because this year is a time of reflection of a decade. Also 2020 has been a very challenging year for everyone. I mustn’t miss this reflecting time at the end of the year.
• Before making a new year’s resolution, I evaluate myself and plan for changes!   Why don’t you have a moment?

I wrote those articles in December 2020. This is a tough year for the world and for all of us. Some of you went through a really hard time. However, we are alive and sharing moments together. Life is precious. Live our own life to the fullest.

I wish you a happy fruitful new year!

Personally, what I do in December is to take time for silence and prayer on

8th Anniversary of Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting.

It was my 2nd Christmas time since I immigrated in December 2010 from Japan. I wanted to do something for the victims. I could not pretend.

In the year 2020, we have thought about life and safety more than ever before. We wear masks, keep social distancing to protect our own life. We try hard to protect our life and our family’s life because we believe we will be safe. What if the place, a school, we believe safe was not safe, what could we do? I have thought much more this year about thousands of lives lost in gun violence.