It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

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Dear friends and family,

The tree is standing and the lights shining for Christmas is just around the corner.

Many of you are running around picking up last minute stocking stuffers while some of

you are too consumed with final exams to even think about the holiday season. One

might think that living in a country where Christmas is not an official holiday and

only one percent of the population considers themselves to be Christian that the holiday

spirit in Japan would be nonexistent. However, with the help of western influence and big business signs of Christmas joy can be seen all

across Japan and this is not an exaggeration. For example, the Kernel

Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken or “Kentucky Chan” as one of my Japanese

friends says is decked out in his Santa gear, the Pachinko Parlor employees have

their little snow bunny mini skirts on as short as they can get, and Christmas cakes

are being sold by the masses. With this in mind please understand that while many

Japanese may enjoy singing carols, giving gifts, and even visiting Santa to promise

they haven’t been naughty often times they don’t really know that much about why

Christmas is really celebrated. Instead, it is a time for couples and friends to go

shopping, visit love hotels, exchange candies, and look at decorations and

lights. Last week when hitching across Japan one trucker asked why I was going to

Nagano. After explaining that I was going to see my sister for Christmas he then asked

me this question. “Is the 24th Halloween and the 25th the Christmas or is it the other

way around?” Another time I asked my Japanese friend what she knew about

Christmas and she said, “Christo? Un, suki yo!” meaning Christ, yes I like him. In

closing, although Christmas may not be its usual genuine to the core “American

Christmas” rest assured that for me this holiday season I will be filled just as much

joy and happiness as the rest of you. Living in Japan has helped me see; putting

religious beliefs aside, that Christmas can and should be celebrated by everyone
regardless of how they chose to celebrate.

To all of you this holiday season please stay

A Nordic Christmas.

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A glance at how Christmas is celebrated in other parts of the world.

warm, safe, and of course have a very Merry Christmas!!

Regards,

Spencer Huddleston

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