Season’s Greetings!
I felt it important to post a Christmas message being that this is my first Christmas as a blogger. Living in a foreign country has opened my eyes to the many different ways that people celebrate this most joyous of holidays.
The Japanese (whom less than 1% are Christian) celebrate the season in their own way. Some families give gifts to their children in much the same way that people in other countries typically do. As for the mystery and magic surrounding Santa Claus and some of the more traditional Christmas customs and practices, the Japanese are not quite as well-schooled as those from countries like Australia, Canada, the U.K., the U.S.A. and many areas of Europe and South America, but that’s understandable. How many folks in the above countries are well-versed in traditional Shinto and Buddhist holiday practices? Not the majority, I’m sure.
This year Christmas falls on Sunday, so many people will have the day off from work in Japan due to the simple reason that Sunday is their normal day off rather than because it’s Christmas Day. When Christmas occurs during the regular week, very few people here have the day off and many businesses are open as usual; it’s just another day for the most part. Continue reading
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