How to Celebrate a Japanese Christmas

In Japan Christmas is celebrated by almost everyone, regardless of religious beliefs. Incorporate Western traditions into your festivities to make your holiday meaningful and unique.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Christmas Gifts
• Nativity Scenes
• Evergreens
• Mistletoe
• Nativity Sets
• Dried Beans

1. Enjoy all the colorful decorations displayed in the stores as you shop for presents for family and friends.
2. Tell your children the story of Jesus' birth in the manger if you believe in the Christian tradition. Little girls in Japan particularly love this story about the baby.
3. Decorate your house with evergreen and mistletoe.
4. Suggest a community Christmas tree, since this is an acceptable option in some neighborhoods.
5. Focus on serving the less fortunate. Go caroling or set up a Christmas tree in a hospital, or give a dramatic presentation to children or patients.
6. Plan a turkey dinner for Christmas Day. This American tradition is catching on, although some Japanese prefer traditional foods.
7. Expect the god Horeisho to come to your house and bring the children gifts. He carries a huge pack on his back and has eyes on the back of his head to make sure your children behave well.
8. Understand that New Year's Day, one week after Christmas, is the most important day of the year. Families clean the house from top to bottom for this special occasion, then dress in their best clothes.
9. Ask the father of the house to walk through the house and chase evil spirits away. Give him dried beans to toss in the corners of the rooms to get the spirits to leave and in their place encourage good luck.

Tips & Warnings

• Christmas was first introduced in Japan by Christian missionaries and was celebrated only by those who had accepted the Christian faith. Today, however, almost everyone in Japan finds meaning in this special day.
• Explain what the cradle or manger is to your children when they see the Nativity scene. Japanese babies don't sleep in cradles, so this will be unfamiliar to them.
• You might make origami cranes or swans to decorate a Christmas tree, along with paper fans, lanterns and small toys.
• Japan is a cosmopolitan country with various religious cultures, so Christmas traditions are quite diverse and cannot be generalized. The preceding steps represent a few examples of local traditions that may or may not be appropriate for your personal celebration of Christmas.

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