Christmas in Japan
I am often asked if people celebrate Christmas in Japan. Yes, in a sense they do. The cities are aglow with Christmas lights and decorations from the middle of October. The traditional treat for Christmas in Japan is a white champagne cake with whipped cream and strawberries, heavily decorated with a plastic Santa Claus and reindeer.
Children sit up on Christmas eve to find out if Santa Claus will really come. In fact, all the craze among the children this year is to write to Santa without telling their parents. If they get what they want, they will know Santa Claus is real.
The main event for Christmas in Japan is the Christmas Eve date. All the hotels and restaurants are booked solid, and will serve a special Christmas Eve date dinner ranging from $80 to $300 a plate. High school boys and young adults save for months to make the Christmas Eve date special for their sweethearts, often presenting them with diamonds or other expensive gifts.
The one thing that is conspicuously missing from the festivities on Christmas in Japan, is any mention of Jesus Christ. Santas abound, but nativity scenes are not available. The grocery stores and malls play all the Santa songs and winter songs associated with Christmas, but very few carols. There is no talk of peace, love or hope, and giving to the poor is not part of the festivities.
I was walking in the hills yesterday evening, looking down at the south part of the city of Kurume and thinking about this sad situation when The sun broke through the clouds, promising a glorious sunset. The famous passage from the Bible in Isaiah 9:2 immediately etched itself on my mind: “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.”
Jesus Christ came to bring the light of God’s love, forgiveness and hope to a dark and hopeless world but most of the people in Japan are still walking in darkness. Christmas in Japan misses the whole reason we celebrate the most amazing event in history.
I hope and pray your Christmas will be filled with a deeper meaning and a greater hope than Christmas in Japan with its Santa Claus and hot Christmas Eve dates. If you do not celebrate Christmas at all, have a wonderful holiday time in whatever festivities you take part in!