The Holiday Season

Since the Holiday Season is rapidly approaching, I thought that I would try my best to explain the differences in which they are celebrated in America and Japan.

While Christmas is a big holiday in Japan, it has no religious ideals attached to it and is basically all commercial (come to think of it, similar to how it is currently celebrated in the US). Families and friends exchange gifts but it is more of a time to spend out with your friends than home with your family. On Christmas in Japan people usually go out and drink and party, like how New Year's Eve is celebrated in America. Actually, prior to the 19th century, that is exactly how Christmas was celebrated in America. It didn't become a family holiday until after the poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas" was written, so you could say that Japan celebrates Christmas the original way. Also, most people work in Japan on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

In America New Year's Eve is celebrated by going out with your friends and drinking until midnight. Clubs and bars usually have special New Year's deals, all you can drink and eat for one price (usually a high one!). The older crowd with young kids stay home and ring in the New Year watching television shows like Dick Clark's New Year's Rocking Eve.

In Japan, New Year's Eve is a time to spend home with family watching similar television shows. The biggest is Kohaku Uta Gassan (translated as Red and White Song Battle). It is sort of an American Idol show but with the most famous Japanese singers facing off against other famous singers. The White Team is made up of the most popular female singers in Japan and the Red Team is made up of the most popular male singers and the audience and judges vote for which team is the overall winner of the year. It is considered a great honor for Japanese artists to be chosen to participate in this show.

But the party doesn't end at midnight, traditionally in Japan the New Year doesn't begin until the sunrise on January 1st. Most people leave the house after midnight and travel to a place like the beach or the mountains, any place where they can view the most beautiful sun rise.

Then on the first of the year, families traditionally go to their town's local shrine and offer up prayers for the New Year. On New Year's adults usually give children large sums of money, so kids make out great this time of the year; gifts on Christmas and lots of cash on New Years!

I can't wait to watch my first Kohaku this year, as I am a big fan of Japanese artists; not so much staying up all night waiting for the sunrise...maybe my wife can wake me up for it.