Where is my Christmas spirit?
This is the second Christmas season I am spending in Japan, and as last year, I am not in the Christmas spirit.
I know why though. At home I am bombarded with television and radio commercials informing me of all the special gifts you can buy your loved ones. Since I haven't watched television, or listened to the radio for the past year I am not subjected to all the ads. Even if I did tune in, I probably wouldn't understand 80 per cent of what was being advertised.
I know most Japanese people don't celebrate Christmas, so I shouldn't expect things to be like they are back home. However, Japanese do eat Christmas cake. Where did this tradition come from?
According to the Wikipedia web site: In Japan, Christmas cake, traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve, is simply a sponge cake, forsted with whipped cream, decorated with strawberries, and usually topped with Christmas chocolates or other seasonal fruit.
By extension, Japanese women over the age of 25 have occasionally been called "Christmas cake" to express the traditional Japanese idea that women over 25 are undesireable as marriage partners.
This is also why Christmas cake is not eaten after the 25th of December.
Hmmm well I guess I am "a Christmas cake" LOL. Luckily this type of thinking doesn't exist in Canada.
Also contrary to the popular myth and KFC advertisements, chicken karaage (fried chicken) is not a traditional Christmas holiday meal in Japan. The Christams holiday in Japan is akin to Valentines' Day holiday in countries like the U.S. On this day, you will take the one you "LOVE" out on a special date. Most Japanese couples have dinners at upscale restaurants, hence there is no specific traditional meal consumed on Dec. 24th.
So KFC.. wants the world to think that all Japanese eat fried chicken at Christmas... ah not the case.
As for me.. I will be eating pierogi, ushka soup, herring and an array of other traditional German and Polish food.
Yummy can't wait.
Oh I have had Weihnachts Stollen and cookies already.. thanks.. to a kind man from Wuerzburg.
This is the second Christmas season I am spending in Japan, and as last year, I am not in the Christmas spirit.
I know why though. At home I am bombarded with television and radio commercials informing me of all the special gifts you can buy your loved ones. Since I haven't watched television, or listened to the radio for the past year I am not subjected to all the ads. Even if I did tune in, I probably wouldn't understand 80 per cent of what was being advertised.
I know most Japanese people don't celebrate Christmas, so I shouldn't expect things to be like they are back home. However, Japanese do eat Christmas cake. Where did this tradition come from?
According to the Wikipedia web site: In Japan, Christmas cake, traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve, is simply a sponge cake, forsted with whipped cream, decorated with strawberries, and usually topped with Christmas chocolates or other seasonal fruit.
By extension, Japanese women over the age of 25 have occasionally been called "Christmas cake" to express the traditional Japanese idea that women over 25 are undesireable as marriage partners.
This is also why Christmas cake is not eaten after the 25th of December.
Hmmm well I guess I am "a Christmas cake" LOL. Luckily this type of thinking doesn't exist in Canada.
Also contrary to the popular myth and KFC advertisements, chicken karaage (fried chicken) is not a traditional Christmas holiday meal in Japan. The Christams holiday in Japan is akin to Valentines' Day holiday in countries like the U.S. On this day, you will take the one you "LOVE" out on a special date. Most Japanese couples have dinners at upscale restaurants, hence there is no specific traditional meal consumed on Dec. 24th.
So KFC.. wants the world to think that all Japanese eat fried chicken at Christmas... ah not the case.
As for me.. I will be eating pierogi, ushka soup, herring and an array of other traditional German and Polish food.
Yummy can't wait.
Oh I have had Weihnachts Stollen and cookies already.. thanks.. to a kind man from Wuerzburg.
Labels: Where is the Christmas spirit
posted by Sowa @ Wednesday, December 13, 2006
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