My first trip to Asia was with my (then future) in-laws to visit Michael's family in Thailand. We went over Christmas, as is tradition with his family. Thailand is a Buddhist country, so I was really surprised to find every street, restaurant and shopping mall plastered with all things Christmas. Trees, Santa's, the whole shebang.
Here it is no different. Japan, a country that identifies as Buddhist/Shinto, has latched on to Christmas in a major way. Christmas music plays in my local grocery store, there are Christmas trees as far as the eye can see, my 100 Yen Shop has a special Christmas section all set up.
It's not that the Japanese are into being Christian. Rather, it just happens that Christmas coincides with a major gift-giving season here in Asia - the New Year. In Japan this is compounded by the coincidence that the current Emperor's birthday is December 23. Therefore, gift giving, partying and general revelry happen to be going on at the same time as Christmas anyway. Christmas is simply co-opted as another reason to celebrate.
I alternate between being amused and annoyed by the Christmas fascination. There is nothing more fun than being greeted by a Japanese man wearing a reindeer costume and hawking cell phones at Yodabashi Camera.
In the end, however, annoyance wins out. It is my conviction that the Asian adoption of Christmas is proof of the extent to which Christmas has become victim to massive commercialization. Gift-giving season in the East incorporates gift-giving holiday from the West. When viewed from that perspective, it is no longer surprising that Christmas has made it big in Asia. It would be more surprising if it hadn't.
For Michael and I, because we do celebrate Christmas, it is comforting to have all the tinsel and lights hung around the city. The crux of the issue is, however, that all the decorations and celebrations focus around consumerism - buy more gifts! That is not how we celebrate, so in the end the decorations are cold comfort.
We'll be looking forward to our traditional Christmas Duck and some quality time spent together to celebrate the holiday. And we did break down and do a little decorating of our own.
Here it is no different. Japan, a country that identifies as Buddhist/Shinto, has latched on to Christmas in a major way. Christmas music plays in my local grocery store, there are Christmas trees as far as the eye can see, my 100 Yen Shop has a special Christmas section all set up.
It's not that the Japanese are into being Christian. Rather, it just happens that Christmas coincides with a major gift-giving season here in Asia - the New Year. In Japan this is compounded by the coincidence that the current Emperor's birthday is December 23. Therefore, gift giving, partying and general revelry happen to be going on at the same time as Christmas anyway. Christmas is simply co-opted as another reason to celebrate.
I alternate between being amused and annoyed by the Christmas fascination. There is nothing more fun than being greeted by a Japanese man wearing a reindeer costume and hawking cell phones at Yodabashi Camera.
In the end, however, annoyance wins out. It is my conviction that the Asian adoption of Christmas is proof of the extent to which Christmas has become victim to massive commercialization. Gift-giving season in the East incorporates gift-giving holiday from the West. When viewed from that perspective, it is no longer surprising that Christmas has made it big in Asia. It would be more surprising if it hadn't.
For Michael and I, because we do celebrate Christmas, it is comforting to have all the tinsel and lights hung around the city. The crux of the issue is, however, that all the decorations and celebrations focus around consumerism - buy more gifts! That is not how we celebrate, so in the end the decorations are cold comfort.
We'll be looking forward to our traditional Christmas Duck and some quality time spent together to celebrate the holiday. And we did break down and do a little decorating of our own.
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