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《Japanese Christmas》
Japan is said to be “Shinto” country, and has cherished those religious events the whole year. However, interestingly, most of Japanese people celebrate Christmas no matter what religion we have. As for younger generation, it is one of the most important matters if they spend Christmas Eve with a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Some couples will be intoxicated by the romantic date on that day, and because of that, some single people will be bent on getting a boyfriend/girlfriend by Christmas Eve. When November comes, we can see illuminated Christmas trees everywhere in town, and shops begin a battle on sales for Christmas gifts or goods. As a matter of course, some children in Japan also believe in Santa Clause to bring a Christmas present on that night. There are also many Japanese Christmas songs to lift our feelings as the day draws near. As you may know, Japanese people love to make a detailed plan for private as well as for work. It means that Christmas Eve/Day has to be well-planned day for us. Now, let us seek the clues to make the day be successful.
《Prepare a present》
Firstly, we are supposed to prepare a present for children, a boyfriend/girlfriend, or a spouse in advance. The budget for a boyfriend/girlfriend will be decided by how much you are intimate to him/her. Some will be annoyed to see an expensive present and others will be disappointed to see a tawdry present.
Especially for a girlfriend, she might wonder if her boyfriend values her with the present. If you don’t know whether or not your girlfriend pays a lot of attention to a Christmas present, you had better ask her what she wants in advance.
#1: Please refer to the following result of questionnaires that are shown by a Japanese research company last year.
Q1: What do you want for a Christmas present by your boyfriend?
(20’s to 40’s)
1 | accessories (a necklace/a ring/earrings) | 28.4% |
2 | a bag | 12.0% |
3 | a wallet | 10.4% |
Q2: How much will be the present for Q1?
(20’s to 40’s)
1 | more than 50,000 JPY | 21.3% |
2 | from 10,000 to 20,000 JPY | 19.1% |
3 | from 5,000 to 10,000 JPY | 15.3% |
4 | from 2,500 to 5,000 JPY | 14.2% |
5 | from 30,000 to 50,000 JPY | 13.7% |
6 | from 20,000 to 30,000 JPY | 9.3% |
7 | less than 2,500 JPY | 7.1% |
#2: As for a present for a boyfriend, another research has shown the following result.
Q3: What is a favorable Christmas present for a boyfriend?
1 | a watch |
2 | a key case |
3 | a wallet |
(Reference: https://kaumo.jp/topic/45894 )
#3: Notice: The results shown above are just for the references, and the most important thing is how you put your heart when you choose a present and give it to him/her. Reversely speaking, if it is found that your boyfriend/girlfriend thinks more expensive is better, you should think over your relationships; his/her affection toward you is not so much. In any case, if you are planning to purchase a present on internet shopping, please pay the most attention to the stock and the delivery date. As you may know, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is the busiest day for carriers and internet shopping sites. It is better for you to get a present in advance for the day to give it directly to your boyfriend/girlfriend.
《Activities》
When you have decided a present, try to decide WHERE you will spend the day with your boyfriend/girlfriend.
#1: A restaurant: you should make a reservation as early as possible. As for popular restaurants, it will be full-booked soon.
#2: A hot-spring hotel: Some couples like to stay at one of them for Christmas; hotels provide Christmas plans for couples to have nice dinner and some activities. For this year, you should have made a reservation a few months earlier, but it is worth trying to find one.
#3: A Christmas concert: some musicians will hold a concert on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, so check and get tickets for you and your boyfriend/girlfriend.
#4: A church: If you are a Christian, it will be easier to escort your boyfriend/girlfriend at mass.
#5: A party at home: If you prefer to have a party at home, you need to prepare everything. Chicken (Kentucky Fried Chicken is O.K,) a Christmas cake, champagne, pizza, and so on.
《Have a happy Christmas!》
When it comes to say about Christmas, you will imagine snow outside. If you really want to have white Christmas, come to Hokkaido: in fact, some people from western or southern part of Japan like to stay in Hokkaido to experience real white Christmas.
In any case, I wish that many things that you see will be shared with your boyfriend/girlfriend or your family on Christmas.
Clare
Japan