Christmas (Japan)

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Christmas in Japan is celebrated on December 25, though it’s not a national holiday. Christmas began to become accepted and popular in the years after WWII, when Christian missionaries began visiting the country and introduced the idea (though it was first celebrated in 1594, until the prohibition of Christianity between 1603 to 1867, during which the religion largely disappeared from Japan).

Today, Christmas is more of a secular holiday in Japan, with celebrations typically beginning on Christmas Eve, when TV stations play Christmas movies and shows. Many theme parks, like Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan, host special Christmas events. For Christmas dinner in Japan, many families enjoy fried chicken—often from a fast-food restaurant—and end the meal with a Christmas sponge cake topped with cream icing, strawberries, chocolate, and decorations. Children will often be given a gift from their parents, in addition to a boot filled with candy, snacks, and small toys.

One of the most popular Christmas sentiments in Japan is romance. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are popular times for couples to make dinner reservations, with Christmas in Japan seen primarily as a romantic holiday.

How to prepare:

Our offices will be open on Christmas. Please plan accordingly.

How we’re celebrating Christmas at [company.name]

In honor of those who celebrate Christmas, we have some upcoming Christmas-themed events, including:

• [Insert event]
• [Insert event]
• [Insert event]