Merry Christmas! I hope everyone’s having a nice Christmas week.
Well, it’s my (Tomo’s) turn to write the blog post. And since it’s only a couple days before Christmas, I’m going to write about Christmas in Japan.
Christmas is a big event in Japan, which is kind of interesting because most Japanese are not Christian. I don’t know how or since when it got so big over there. Most people know it’s a Christian holiday and I think a lot of people know that it’s a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Probably most people, if they ever stop and think about it, don’t know why they have to make such a big deal about Christmas when they’re not even Christians.
Anyway, Christmas in Japan is pretty similar to how it is in America. Malls and shops all put up Christmas decorations and sell Christmas stuff, parents buy Christmas presents to children, and everywhere you go, you see Santa Claus, reindeer, wreaths, candles, etc. But a lot of things are different too. The biggest difference, though, is I think that it’s regarded as more of a romantic holiday in Japan rather than a family holiday. There’s a lot of pressure on single people to find a date on Christmas Eve, and also on dating guys to plan a romantic date and prepare romantic presents. I hung out with two of my girlfriends from high school a little before Christmas last year when I was in a long-distance relationship with David, because none of us had a date. They both complained about the pressure and said Christmas was the most depressing time of the year and that they feel angry at all the couples walking around. They also said that I was better off even without a boyfriend because I was a Christian and it was more about celebrating Jesus for me. “But for us, it’s all about having a date on Christmas Eve, and we don’t!” they said. So I jokingly asked them why not become a Christian so they won’t have to feel so miserable on Christmas. And they said they wouldn’t dare become Christians just for that purpose because if God finds out, He’d send them to hell. I thought that was pretty funny. They don’t really believe in God but they know they better not mess with God.
So that’s one illustration of how people view Christmas in Japan. Obviously, there’s a lot of work to be done to spread the joy of Christmas there. Pray for Japanese Christians and churches!